Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Leafs stand by their coach, give Carlyle contract extension

Boston Bruins v Toronto Maple Leafs

TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 6: Coach Randy Carlyle of the Toronto Maple Leafs yells from the bench against the Boston Bruins during NHL action at the Air Canada Centre March 6, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)

Abelimages

The Toronto Maple Leafs are indeed bringing back head coach Randy Carlyle next season, and they’ve given him a two-year contract extension to boot.

The decision -- announced today by general manager Dave Nonis, and made “with input and support from team president Brendan Shanahan,” according to a release -- will be a controversial one in Toronto, where criticism of Carlyle peaked late in the 2013-14 season as the Leafs fell precipitously out of a playoff spot.

Obviously, the Leafs didn’t side with the critics.

“It was important, after a disappointing end to the season and the arrival of Brendan as team president, to conduct a thorough review of the organization as we continue the work of building a winning tradition and culture for the Maple Leafs,” said Nonis.

“That process started with the head coach, and as we analyzed it, we decided together that Randy Carlyle was the right person to lead this team. In Randy we know that we have a leader who has enjoyed a high level of success as both a player and a coach, including a Stanley Cup championship. It was important that the positives Randy brings to our team were not overshadowed by a finish to the season that we all must take responsibility for.”

In the same release, the club announced that assistant coaches Dave Farrish, Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin will not be returning next season.