Why Steve Sullivan is the new coach of the Toronto Marlies

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Steve Sullivan will have a tough act to follow as the Marlies’ new coach.

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Given the changing nature of rosters and priorities throughout the American Hockey League’s farm system, teams rarely repeat as Calder Cup champions. It has happened just three times since the National Hockey League added four former World Hockey Association clubs in 1979. The Hershey Bears have done it twice, in 2023 and 2024, and in 2009 and 2010, joined by the 1989 and 1990 Springfield Indians.

Sullivan, who was named John Gruden’s replacement on Thursday after Gruden accepted a job on Jim Hiller’s staff with the Maple Leafs, will try to keep the pipeline headed to the Scotiabank Arena from the Coca-Cola Coliseum, get into the playoffs and try to make the kind of team Gruden did in getting Calder’s second franchise.

Sullivan returns to the Marlies after being promoted in December to the Leafs when Marc Savard was fired as an assistant after a power play down south. It has seen rapid improvement under Sullivan, but Hiller and co-head coach Daniel Alfredsson will run it now.

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History with John Chayka

Timmins, 51, a native of Ont., spent two years with the Marlies before being traded last season. Chayka’s hiring as Toronto General Manager in May was a boon for Sullivan, who had worked under Chayka in the Arizona Coyotes’ front office, to replace him as GM in 2020 after a sudden falling out with ownership.

Sullivan has been AGM since 2018 and oversees the Arizona affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners.

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In pursuit of his goal-scoring tactics, Sullivan played more than 1,000 NHL games with New Jersey, Chicago, Toronto, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Phoenix, accumulating 290 goals and 457 assists. In the AHL he had 171 points in 153 games with the Albany River Rats and won the Calder Cup in 1995.

“Steve earned this opportunity through his work with the Leafs and Marlies and has built strong relationships with our young players throughout the organization,” Hardy said in the release. “His experience as a player and coach, combined with his dedication to player development make him the right person to lead the next generation of Marlies.”

It was thought that Sullivan would take over on the farm during his absence amid changes to the Leafs personnel earlier in the week. while adding Alfredsson, Gruden and newcomer Brad Werenka.

Also announced Thursday, coaching consultant Mark Giordano has stepped into a full-time assistant position with the Marlies after Michael Dyck stepped down as GM/head coach of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.

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Which players will he inherit?

The Marlies’ makeup is a lot of guess work right now, though Chayka’s signing of a handful of NHL veterans on July 1 through free agency and trade could mean the minor leaguers step up as expected.

Sullivan could have playoff MVP Artur Akhtyamov back in net after the Leafs added Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency to partner Anthony Stolarz. The Marlies’ most likely backup is Slovakian Samuel Hlavaj. Hannu Toivonen returns as the Marlies’ goaltending coach after Akhtyamov and the traded Dennis Hildeby showed marked improvement.

While William Villeneuve signed a two-year contract this week with the Leafs and forwards Jacob Quillan and Ryan Tverberg annual deals to reunite with young Luke Haymes, they will all be fighting with newcomers like Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons and Zack MacEwen to take part in the third with Joshua Lorent in the fourth Dakota with Steven Lorent.

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Veteran Marlies forward Vinni Lettieri and Bo Groulx were hoping their long playoff run with the Marlies — Lettieri leads the AHL in postseason points — would also translate into the Leafs’ next training camp.

♦ On Wednesday, Marlies captain Logan Shaw was named the winner of the AHL’s Dave Andrews Award for outstanding performance on and off the ice.

♦ The team also released its 2026-27 regular season schedule, with the home opener at Coca-Coliseum Oct. 3 against the Hamilton Hammers, the club moved away, the club of the New York Islanders, while the latter will host the Marlies in their first game on Oct. 9 at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum.

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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