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Toronto Maple Leafs’ Assistant General Manager Kyle Dubas announced changes to the Toronto Marlies coaching staff on Tuesday as Gord Dineen will not return as head coach.

Dineen however has been offered a position to remain on as an associate coach while the Club announced it will begin its search for a new head coach immediately. Associate coach Derek King was relieved of his duties while assistant coach Ben Simon has been offered another position within the organization.

Named head coach on July 15, 2014, Dineen had also served as the Marlies’ assistant coach in their five previous seasons. In 2014-15, the Marlies secured the seventh seed with 87 points and a 39-28-9 regular season record but were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs in the first round, losing the best-of-five series against the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings) three games to two.


It seems pretty obvious what the Leafs are doing here, which is making space for Sheldon Keefe to step into the Toronto Marlies head coaching spot.

The AHL should be a breeding ground for players and coaches alike, and if the feeling was Dineen is unlikely to be a part of the Leafs future, it makes sense for them to bring in a young up and coming hockey mind in Keefe into the Marlies HC role.

While it has long been in the cards with the Dubas – Keefe connection, It is worth noting Keefe’s experience is limited. He’s spent just two and a half seasons in the OHL, and while the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds had strong regular season records the past two seasons, the team couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs, getting swept in round two in 2013-14 and getting ousted by Erie this year despite entering the series with the better record and a deeper team. As much as McDavid is an all world talent, Keefe has some responsibility in the failure to game plan him and limit McDavid to less than the staggering three points a game he scored throughout the six-game series.

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