Maple Leafs fire GM David Nonis, interim coach Peter Horachek

ByPierre LeBrun ESPN logo
Sunday, April 12, 2015

TORONTO -- Brendan Shanahan's remake of the woeful Maple Leafs continued Sunday with the firings of general manager David Nonis and interim coach Peter Horachek.

The Maple Leafs announced the firings amid a flurry of front office and coaching moves Sunday, one day after concluding their worst season in nearly two decades with a loss to the rival Canadiens.

Toronto also fired goaltending coach Rick St. Croix and assistant coaches Steve Spott and Chris Dennis. The team announced that assistant GM Kyle Dubas and director of player personnel Mark Hunter will share the GM responsibilities on an interim basis.

Director of pro scouting Steve Kasper and director of player development Jim Hughes also were fired.

Shanahan will have a news conference Monday afternoon.

Nonis joined the Leafs' front office in December 2008 as Brian Burke's right-hand man and replaced Burke as GM in January 2013 on the eve of the lockout-shortened season, helping Toronto reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

But after missing the postseason in 2013-14, the Maple Leafs went just 30-44-8 this season for 68 points, their lowest 82-game total since the 1996-97 season.

Shanahan, named president of the club last spring, made a number of front-office changes last summer and that has now continued. The Maple Leafs are now in the market for both a GM and a head coach, and the expectation is that they will seek high-profile replacements for both.

Also expected are sweeping player roster changes over the course of the offseason.

"It's evident that there's lots of changes that have to happen, and the direction has to be in a different direction," Horachek said after Saturday's loss to Montreal.

Horachek replaced Randy Carlyle, who was fired on Jan. 6, but went just 9-28-5 as Toronto's interim coach. The Maple Leafs have reached the playoffs just once in the last 10 seasons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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