TORONTO (AP) — Randy Carlyle is coming back as Maple Leafs coach next season.
General manager Dave Nonis says Thursday he and new team president Brendan Shanahan and “decided together that Randy Carlyle was the right person to lead this team.”
Carlyle and the Leafs agreed to a two-year contract extension, but assistants Dave Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon will not be returning next season.
“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,” Nonis said in a statement. “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.”
Toronto went 2-12 in its last 14 games under Carlyle after being as high as second place in the Atlantic Division. Carlyle led the Leafs to the playoffs in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, the club’s first post-season appearance since 2004.
Toronto went 2-12-0 in its last 14 games under Carlyle after being as high as second place in the Atlantic Division.
“I appreciate the support of Brendan, Dave and the entire organization and am looking forward to working with them to get the Maple Leafs back into the playoffs,” Carlyle said. “We have a strong foundation here and everyone wants to get back to work to deliver the results that we know this team is capable of.”
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