{"id":1890,"date":"2026-06-12T05:37:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T05:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1890"},"modified":"2026-06-12T05:37:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T05:37:15","slug":"joe-pavelski-talks-about-where-things-stand-between-him-and-the-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1890","title":{"rendered":"Joe Pavelski talks about where things stand between him and the Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Former Sharks captain Joe Pavelski remains intrigued by the idea of coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, and said he\u2019s eager to see where the hiring process leads as the Original Six franchise searches for its next bench boss under new general manager John Chayka.<\/p>\n

Read more Tampa Bay\u2019s Kucherov wins Hart Trophy; Sharks\u2019 Celebrini gets first-place votes<\/a><\/p>\n

Pavelski, 41, confirmed reports that he\u2019s had \u201ca couple of discussions\u201d with the Leafs, who have cast a wide net in their search for a replacement for Craig Berube, who was fired by Chayka last month after two years in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Chayka said earlier this month he does not have a specific timeline to have a new coach. The Leafs have whittled down a list of over 50 candidates to roughly 20, and Pavelski, despite lacking professional coaching experience, was expected to be part of that second group.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a process,\u201d Pavelski said Thursday in Stateline, Nev., where he\u2019ll defend his American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament title next month. \u201cThey\u2019re (being) very thorough. \u2026 They have a bunch of stuff on their end, and you\u2019re just being patient and figuring out things on your end, so there\u2019s not a lot to talk about right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since his retirement in 2024 following a standout 18-year NHL career, including the first 13 with the Sharks, Pavelski has stayed involved in the game. He volunteers his expertise roughly once a week at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater, and coaching his son Nate\u2019s team, the 15U AAA Madison Capitols.<\/p>\n

The Leafs have a veteran corps but had significant injuries and finished last in the Atlantic Division this past season with a 32-36-14 record, leading to Berube\u2019s dismissal. But Toronto won the NHL draft lottery\u2019s first drawing last month and holds the No. 1 overall pick for the first round of the draft on June 26. The Sharks won the second lottery draw and will draft No. 2.<\/p>\n

Asked what intrigues him about potentially becoming an NHL coach, Pavelski mentioned the enjoyment and satisfaction he\u2019s received from coaching his son\u2019s team, which he said has helped his transition into retirement by keeping his \u201ccompetitive juices\u201d flowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I do like the coaching side,\u201d Pavelski said. \u201cI\u2019ve always thought the game well. It was a strength of mine when I played. When the opportunity kind of came (from the Leafs) to explore it more, it was something I definitely wanted to entertain, and that\u2019s where kind of the discussions have led.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are the only two NHL teams without a full-time coach. If Pavelski does not get the Leafs job, might he be open to talking with other teams in the future about their coaching positions, if they become open?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working through things like that,\u201d Pavelski said, adding later. \u201cThere\u2019s a certain level of timing that comes into all this, and where my family\u2019s at, and why certain things work (or) not. It\u2019s something we\u2019re not rushing into. We\u2019re looking through on our end very thoroughly, and we\u2019ll see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pavelski was drafted in the seventh round by the Sharks in 2003 and went on to become one of the NHL\u2019s most respected players, compiling a Hockey Hall of Fame-worthy resume with 1,068 points in 1,332 career NHL games. That includes 476 goals in the regular season and 71 goals in 201 career playoff games.<\/p>\n

Read more Arrest made in Berkeley Animal Shelter arson<\/a><\/p>\n

Pavelski played in two Stanley Cup finals, losing in six games in both 2016 with the Sharks and in 2020 with the Dallas Stars, two stops where he was coached by Pete DeBoer.<\/p>\n

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\u201cElite hockey mind with a teacher mentality,\u201d DeBoer told the Toronto Sun about Pavelski. \u201cHe was always working on his own game, but also was first to help others and loved talking systems and strategy. He had a great bench feel as a player on adjustments, line combinations, shift length.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are not many players I could confidently say could do this. But he would be at the top of that list for players I have coached.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, Pavelski spoke to former Sharks teammate Tomas Hertl, who is now chasing the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Hertl was in a 29-game goal drought last month when he got a pep talk from Pavelski. Now, heading into Wednesday\u2019s Game 5, Hertl had scored five times in his last 11 games.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what (Hertl) can do, and you may see a couple of little things, and it was just a simple call to remind him kind of what he can do, and a couple of areas he could get better at,\u201d said Pavelski, who didn\u2019t want to take credit for Hertl\u2019s production.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re cheering for your teammates that mean a lot to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pavelski has also kept an eye on the Sharks. He\u2019s been impressed by the patience general manager Mike Grier has shown in building the team from the ground up, but also by how well Macklin Celebrini has played in his first two NHL seasons.<\/p>\n

Celebrini has led the Sharks in scoring in both years and set a new franchise single-season scoring record with 115 points in 82 games in 2025-26, helping the team go from last place in back-to-back years to nearly making the playoffs this past season.<\/p>\n

Celebrini\u2019s rise to stardom alongside a promising young corps has helped fill SAP Center on a regular basis, as it was when Pavelski was in San Jose.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re excited because the fans are coming out, they can feel it,\u201d Pavelski said. \u201cI think everyone in the Bay Area can feel the Sharks are coming, but you want them to take that next step. They got a little bit of a taste of what a playoff race is like and what the fans can make the Shark Tank feel like.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to a few of them, and how surprised they were, with the atmosphere, because they haven\u2019t experienced it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Stanley Cup Final: Hurricanes take commanding 3-2 series lead after Game 5 win over Golden Knights<\/a><\/p>\n

Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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