AHL’s Toronto Marlies name Steve Sullivan head coach

The Toronto Marlies, the top American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Thursday morning that they have hired Steve Sullivan to be their new head coach.

Sullivan, 52, will become the ninth head coach in Marlies history. He replaces John Gruden, who led the Marlies to a Calder Cup championship this past season before being promoted to serve as an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs on Jim Hillier’s new staff.

“Steve has earned this opportunity through his work with both the Maple Leafs and Marlies and has built strong relationships with our young players throughout the organization,” Maple Leafs assistant general manager Ryan Hardy said in a statement on Thursday. “His experience as both a player and coach, combined with his commitment to player development, makes him the right person to lead the next generation of Marlies.”

Former Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano will join Sullivan as an assistant coach with the Marlies, with goaltending coach Hannu Toivonen and video coach Nick Biamonte rounding out the staff.

Since retiring as a player in 2013, Sullivan has embarked upon a career in coaching and management. He worked for the Arizona Coyotes organisation between 2014 and 2021, starting out as a development coach and eventually working his way up to becoming assistant general manager. While in Arizona, Sullivan worked closely with current Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka.

The Maple Leafs originally brought Sullivan into their organization in 2024, first hiring him as an assistant coach for the Marlies before promoting him to the NHL midway through the 2025-26 season to replace Marc Savard as an assistant coach under Craig Berube. Now, Sullivan will return to the Marlies as the man in charge of their bench as they look to defend their title.

As a player, Sullivan made a name for himself as a forward who overcame his lack of size through constant work and effort. The 5’9″ winger skated for six different NHL clubs, most notably the Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators, and posted seven consecutive 60-point seasons between 1999-00 and 2006-07. The Timmins, Ont. product collected 290 goals and 747 points in 1,011 NHL games between 1995 and 2013; he added nine goals and 23 points in 50 playoff contests.