Toronto Maple Leafs looking at Patrick Roy and another big name for their next coach

The Toronto Maple Leafs have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks ahead of the NHL Draft.

However, the franchise must first find a new head coach.

The Leafs are interviewing a number of coaching candidates, and it looks like they're considering a pair of huge names. 

TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting that the Maple Leafs are interviewing Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette.

The Toronto Maple Leafs coaching search is getting more interesting. Sources say Patrick Roy and Peter Laviolette are a part of this week's stage of the interview process.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 3, 2026

Roy is regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history, but his coaching success hasn't been the same.

The 60-year-old spent parts of three seasons as head coach of the New York Islanders before being fired with four games remaining in the 2025-26 season. During his tenure, the Islanders posted a 97-78-22 record and made one playoff appearance in 2023-24.

Before joining the Islanders, Roy coached the Colorado Avalanche from 2013 to 2016, leading the club to one playoff appearance.

The coaching success Roy has had has been in junior hockey. He's spent 13 seasons behind the bench of the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts and won two Memorial Cups.

On the other hand, Laviolette brings much more storied success at the NHL level.

The veteran coach won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and ranks among the winningest coaches in NHL history with more than 800 wins. He has previously coached six NHL franchises, but has never coached for a Canadian team.

Speaking on TSN 1050's OverDrive last month, Laviolette described the Maple Leafs opening as one of the most attractive jobs in hockey.

"For me, a potential coach eyeing that, I still think it's a top job," Laviolette said. "And I'm not saying that for me, I'm just saying in general. It's the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have good players there. They just got the No. 1 pick. They've got an amazing fan base. There's a lot of potential there."

A decision on Toronto's next head coach is not expected to come this week.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the organization plans to complete its initial round of interviews before shifting its attention to next week's NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo.

Friedman reported that the coaching search is expected to resume afterward, with a smaller group of finalists advancing to in-person interviews.