Maple Leafs hire Steve Sullivan as assistant coach

Phoenix Coyotes center Steve Sullivan (26) moves the puck against Nashville Predators left wing Gabriel Bourque (57) in the first period of an NHL hockey game on Thursday, March 28, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Sullivan is playing in his 1,000th NHL game. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Steve Sullivan as an assistant coach, the team announced Friday.

Sullivan joins the NHL club after being an assistant with the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

The move comes after the Leafs fired assistant Marc Savard on Monday.

Savard was responsible for co-ordinating the power play, which Toronto has been at the bottom of the league at only 13.0 per cent.

It’s been one of a few issues for Toronto this season, which has led to being last in the Atlantic Division, three points behind the Buffalo Sabres. The Leafs won the division title just last year.

The 51-year-old Sullivan played 15 seasons in the NHL, recording 747 points (290 goals, 457 assists) in 1,011 career games. He suited up for the New Jersey Devils, the Leafs, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Nashville Predators, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 26, 2025.