Daniel Alfredsson interviewed for the Toronto Maple Leafs head coaching job before Jim Hiller got the call.
That's the word from Bruce Garrioch's report in the Ottawa Citizen, and it's the kind of detail that changes how you read the hire.
Hiller was brought in on June 17, and Toronto needed a jolt behind the bench. The Leafs finished 32-36-14, good for 78 points and dead last in their division at 28th overall.
Nobody needs to explain why a shakeup was coming. A seven-game losing streak to close the year does that on its own.
But the wrinkle here isn't the hire. It's what came after it.
According to Garrioch, once the Leafs settled on Hiller, Mats Sundin reached out to Alfredsson directly. The message was simple. Sundin wanted him part of the organization anyway.
Sundin still wants Alfredsson in the fold
Think about that for a second. You interview for the top job, you don't get it, and the guy running the search still calls to keep you close. That doesn't happen unless somebody left an impression.
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Alfredsson has never coached in the NHL. His name carries weight in Ottawa, not Toronto, which made this interview a genuine surprise the moment it leaked.
Hiller inherits a mess. Toronto allowed 299 goals against this year, worst mark in the league among teams that finished with a winning percentage anywhere close to respectable.
Auston Matthews carries a cap hit of 13,250,000 and posted 53 points in 60 games. William Nylander led the roster with 79 points. Neither number was enough to save last season.
So where does Alfredsson fit if not behind the bench? That's the part nobody's answering yet.
Front office advisor? Player development? A future promotion if Hiller stumbles? Garrioch's report doesn't say, and neither does anyone in Toronto right now.
Here's the uncomfortable read. Hiring a rookie NHL head coach while quietly keeping a bigger name on standby isn't exactly a vote of confidence.
It's the front office equivalent of dating someone while still texting your ex. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's everything.
Hiller now has a losing culture to fix, a fanbase running out of patience, and a legend hovering somewhere in the background. That's not pressure. That's a countdown clock.
Should the Maple Leafs have hired Daniel Alfredsson over Jim Hiller?
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