Just days after parting ways with Marc Savard, the Leafs give job to Steve Sullivan
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new assistant coach with a local connection.
The Maple Leafs announced today that Steve Sullivan has been named as the new assistant coach, replacing Marc Savard, who was fired on Dec. 22.
Sullivan has been the assistant coach for the AHL Toronto Marlies since the beginning of the 2024-25 season. The Marlies are the Toronto Maple Leafs’ main development team.
The 51-year-old from Timmins played two seasons for the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds, including as a rookie during the organization’s Memorial Cup title run in 1992-93.
On the Memorial Cup team, Sullivan scored 36 goals and 63 points in 62 regular season games. After scoring three goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games, Sullivan scored his lone goal of the Memorial Cup in the tournament-clinching 4-2 decision over the Peterborough Petes in the tournament final.
Sullivan returned to the Greyhounds the following season and led the team in scoring with 113 points. His 51 goals that season were second on the team.
He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 1994 and later played for the Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes in an NHL career that spanned 1,011 regular-season games.
After hanging up his skates, Sullivan served as the assistant general manager of the Arizona Coyotes from 2017 to 2021, overseeing the club’s AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He also worked with Arizona’s player development team as a coach and served as a director for a season.
The Leafs are second-last in the Eastern Conference standings.