Maple Leafs hire former Senators head coach Paul MacLean as assistant

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday afternoon that the club hired former Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean as an assistant coach.

"Over nearly two decades as an NHL coach, Paul has filled every role on a coaching staff, winning a Stanley Cup and Jack Adams trophy along the way," Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe told the club's website. 

"Adding someone of Paul's expertise and character to advise and assist our staff is something that we felt was very important as we seek to make tangible steps next season."

MacLean joins the Maple Leafs from the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he served as an assistant coach from Nov. 21, 2019, through the end of the season. Previously, he was the Ottawa head coach from June 2011 until the Senators fired him on Dec. 8, 2014. He compiled a 114-90-35 record with Ottawa and guided the club to a pair of postseason appearances during his tenure with the organization. 

MacLean won the 2013 Jack Adams Award after he was voted the league's best coach that season.

MacLean has also been an assistant with three Stanley Cup finalists, including the Detroit Red Wings side that defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008 final.