Joe Pavelski made it clear: Jim Hiller got the job, but Toronto's coaching search showed exactly how the Maple Leafs operate.
The real takeaway from Pavelski's comments wasn't disappointment.
It was how openly he described a process that looked wide, curious, and still a little unsure of what Toronto really wanted behind the bench.
Pavelski told The Athletic, “It was great.”
Then he added, “It was awesome. It was interesting.”
That alone says plenty. The Leafs didn't just target polished, veteran bench bosses. They opened the door to a first-time candidate with no NHL head-coaching experience and let the process breathe.
When Pavelski said, “When I got the call, if I had interest in the job, yeah, I mean, it's Toronto,” he laid out the power of the market and the pull the organization still carries.
That next line hit even harder: “It kind of takes your breath away to be thought about as a head coach.” Toronto clearly knew the badge still matters, even when the search itself raises eyebrows.
Pavelski pulled back the curtain on Toronto
His comments painted the Leafs as a team willing to cast a massive net, test different profiles, and see who fit the pressure, the spotlight, and the demands of that job.
Pavelski didn't speak like someone dragged through a shallow interview. He said, “After they first reached out, I took a couple of days to think about it.”
Then he gave away the part that matters most: “It's a process you definitely want to go through and see how it really looks.” That sounds like more than a courtesy call. It sounds like Toronto invited candidates into a full examination of the role.
He also said, “I definitely wanted to follow up on the process and see where it went.” That wording makes the Leafs look less locked in on one coach early and more committed to a long, layered search.
Pavelski's mention of Martin St. Louis and Rod Brind'Amour added another layer. Toronto wasn't just chasing experience. It was clearly studying the former-player path and asking whether leadership, presence, and room command could outweigh a thinner coaching résumé.
In the end, Hiller got the bench. But Pavelski's words showed the Leafs' true colors: they wanted options, they wanted range, and they wanted to examine every version of authority before making the call.
Did Joe Pavelski reveal that the Maple Leafs never had a clear coaching favorite?
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