The Maple Leafs announced the hiring of two assistants to Randy Carlyle's coaching staff, promoting Toronto Marlies head coach Steve Spott and bringing in former Florida Panthers head coach Peter Horachek.
The 46-year-old Spott coached the OHL Kitchener Rangers for five seasons from 2008 to 2013 and Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia before replacing Dallas Eakins as the Marlies bench boss last July.
The Marlies went 45-25-0-6 in his first season coaching in the pros and advanced to the Calder Cup Western Conference Final, losing to the eventual champion Texas Stars in seven games.
Spott proved to be an excellent teacher with the Marlies and helped the growth and development of young prospects like Petter Granberg, Josh Leivo and Stuart Percy, but his biggest positive may be as a buffer between the occasional critical Carlyle and the players.
"Communications is a strength." Spott said at the Leafs rookie camp in Etobicoke, ON. "For myself, it's getting to know these guys on a day-to-day basis and try to make this as positive as an environment as it is."
The Marlies coach may especially be helpful getting better results out of Nazem Kadri and David Clarkson, who Spott has prior relationships with going back to their junior days in Kitchener.
The 54-year-old Horachek is a native of Stoney Creek, ON and served as an assistant coach in Nashville from 2003 to 2013 before taking the head coaching position for the Panthers AHL affiliate in San Antonio last summer. After Florida fired head coach Kevin Dineen in November, Panthers GM Dale Tallon tabbed Horachek as interim coach and he went 26-36-4 in 66 games.
"He's been a head coach at different levels, including the NHL." Leafs GM Dave Nonis said. "He's coached as an assistant and associate coach with in my mind one of the top coaches in the league in Barry Trotz. He's a firm guy, I think he's a no nonsense coach."
Nonis indicated that Horachek came highly recommended from former boss David Poile and was someone that Carlyle was comfortable with, having coached against each other in the International Hockey League in the 1990's and this past season.
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