Whether or not Joe Pavelski becomes the next head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 41-year-old possesses the necessary qualities to lead an NHL bench, according to two coaches who know him well. Peter DeBoer, recently hired by the New York Islanders, coached Pavelski for four seasons with the San Jose Sharks and two with the Dallas Stars before Pavelski retired in July 2024. Steve Spott, now an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins, was on DeBoer's staff during those years.
Elite Hockey Mind with Teacher Mentality
DeBoer described Pavelski as having an "elite hockey mind with a teacher mentality." He noted that Pavelski was always working on his own game but also prioritized helping others and discussing systems and strategy. "He had a great bench feel as a player on adjustments, line combinations, shift length," DeBoer said. "There 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."
Spott echoed this sentiment, stating, "We always would say how much better we would be if you could coach first and play second. Very few players have that gift and Joe would be one of those guys. It's almost like he coached first and then played the game because that's how he understood it. The best I've ever had in that way."
Natural Leadership and Coaching Ability
Pavelski, who served as Sharks captain in 2015, demonstrated a coach's presence as a player. "He had a coach's presence as a player. That's massive. It has become a bit of a lost art," Spott said. "There are a lot of players who want to be that and Joe was born with that ability to lead. It's not easy to put your game on the shelf for the betterment of others, and he was always able to do that."
An example of Pavelski's guiding nature occurred during the 2025-26 season when the Bruins visited Chicago. Pavelski, in town for a minor hockey tournament with the Wisconsin team he coaches, visited the Bruins dressing room and spoke with players. Later, he texted Spott with technical tips to help Bruins forward Morgan Geekie, who was in a scoring slump. "We couldn't have been more appreciative and it did work," Spott said. "It just reset Geeks a little bit. It goes to show the type of person that Pav is. He has that natural coaching ability. When he sees something, he is able to dissect it and communicate that."
Parallels to Martin St. Louis
Pavelski's potential hiring draws parallels to Martin St. Louis, who took the Montreal Canadiens to the Eastern Conference final this spring. St. Louis was hired in 2022 after coaching his sons in minor hockey. Similarly, Pavelski's coaching experience includes two seasons with the Madison Capitols' AAA program in Wisconsin, most recently coaching his son Nate with the under-15 team. Spott believes the lack of professional coaching experience would not be an issue. "The only thing that would be new to Joe would be the day-to-day workload of the NHL coaching staff. Behind the bench, on the ice in practice, that would be seamless for him," Spott said.
Leafs general manager John Chayka has indicated the coaching search is wide and varied, and Pavelski is reportedly among the final candidates for in-person interviews.
