Nieuwendyk to meet with Leafs about position; team close to signing assistant coaches

Former NHLer Joe Nieuwendyk will meet with Toronto interim GM Cliff Fletcher Sunday to discuss a possible front-office position.

"We'll be talking to (Nieuwendyk) next week," Fletcher is quoted as saying in the Waterloo Region Record.

The Leafs first attempted to interview Nieuwendyk last month, but were denied permission by the Panthers because he was under contract. Nieuwendyk’s contract with Florida expired June 30.

Nieuwendyk, who retired in 2006, scored 564 goals and 1,126 points in 1,257 career NHL games. He won Stanley Cups with three different teams, the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils.

Fletcher is also quoted in the Record as saying he is close to signing two members of head coach Ron Wilson’s staff from San Jose, Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler, to be assistants in Toronto.

“We have verbal deals with both,” Fletcher said. “We're trying to get the proper language in the contracts sorted out to everyone's liking, but there are no hitches there.”