Maple Leafs name Tim Hunter, Rob Zettler assistant coaches
2008-07-22 21:20:00
TORONTO - Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler have joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as assistant coaches, the team announced Tuesday.
The pair, who join assistant Keith Acton on head coach Ron Wilson's staff, worked together the past five seasons with Wilson in San Jose.
"Tim and Rob bring winning experience to the Maple Leafs coaching staff," said general manager Cliff Fletcher. "Their familiarity with Ron's coaching style, along with their previous success in San Jose, will allow them to quickly bring in a structured system for our players to work within."
Prior to joining the Sharks, the 47-year-old Hunter spent five seasons as an assistant coach under Wilson with the Washington Capitals. Hunter played 16 seasons in the NHL for Calgary, Quebec, Vancouver and San Jose.
Zettler, 40, spent parts of the final three years of his career playing for Wilson and Hunter in Washington prior to joining San Jose as an assistant coach in 2002. He played 14 seasons in the NHL for Minnesota, San Jose, Philadelphia, Toronto, Nashville and Washington.
Flyerfan52 (Posted 2008-07-24 19:14:05)
Williams maybe, The Hammer Schultz, no way he'd go to that organism (intentional spelling due to current ownership).
Whit (Posted 2008-07-23 19:49:21)
Dave the Hammer Shultz and Dave Tiger Williams will be next....
Giv'er (Posted 2008-07-23 12:23:39)
Aw, i was hopin they'd give Dougie a shot, he's been looking to make the jump to coach (just about anything that has anything to do with the word coach) for awhile. I suppose he'll have to start in the juniors. Just a shame he'll leave the organisation.
Bob Allisat (Posted 2008-07-23 12:17:56)
Can't argue with success. I don't like the smell of them and still no Shark Cup victories but the team was more than respectable under these guys. *However* Toronto is long term, hard core dysfunctional at so many levels. That even with Brian Burke joining them next season it will be a miracle if the meddlers, busybodies and gross incompetents at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment don't destroy anything the former San Jose posse may be capable of accomplishing. _____________ The perpetrators, Board of sports criminals and channelers of the evil ghost of Harold Ballard are: Larry Tanenbaum (Chairman); Robert Bertram (Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan); Jim Leech (Teachers' Merchant Bank); Dean Metcalf (Teachers' Merchant Bank); Ivan Fecan (Bell Globemedia); John MacIntyre (TD Capital Group); Dale Lastman (Goodmans LLP); Richard Peddie (MLSE Ltd.). _____________ Get these paper pushers out, out, out and still, even Scotty Bowman himself would have a struggle to bring Toronto up from the chaos this organization is mired in. And remember, don't forget, Bowman told MLSE to buzz off when they wouldn't guarantee him carte blanche. Good luck Wilson, Burke and company. You're going to need more though with the spectre of Pal Hal still haunting the ACC. I guess he wasn't very happy that his hallowed Maple Leaf Gardens is being turned into a supermarket, eh?
Cai (Posted 2008-07-23 11:38:33)
Stylin Dave needs his head checked.Is he aware his old man Fletch is an "interim" GM? The leafs showed "promise?" WOW!!!
Stylin Dave (Posted 2008-07-23 10:13:09)
Unlike hemsky83,I think that Wilson is putting a proven coaching staff together,their winning record speaks for itself.
In recent history the leafs showed the most promise with Cliff Fletcher at the helm...its so good to have him back,he is a DYNAMIC hockey man,with a love for the game and a love for success,I have total faith in Cliff,was sad to see him leave the first time...and im so happy to see him return...its going to be an awesome season in Toronto!!!
DGL (Posted 2008-07-23 09:59:09)
If one looks at past history in the NHL, it was the workers and grinders that made good coaches not the stars. So the Leafs picking up two journeyman players, now coaches, is a good sign. Experience working together is a great advantage for them not a disadvantage like Hemsky83 seems to think.
I look at Edmontons' coach, one too many hits on the head when he was a player. But he's still makes a very good average coach. I'm sure his assistants are 'yes' men as well. Or does he change them each year?
hemsky83 (Posted 2008-07-22 23:24:08)
I hope those guys are better coaches than they were players. Hunter was a goon and Zettler likely watched more NHL games from the pressbox than he actually played. Wilson's a control freak so he's padding himself with "yes" men.
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