Maple Leafs fire GM Nonis, interim coach Horachek

Sunday, 04.12.2015 / 2:39 PM NHL.com

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired general manager Dave Nonis and interim coach Peter Horachek on Sunday.

Toronto, which did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season and the ninth time in the past 10 seasons, also fired assistant coaches Steve Spott and Chris Dennis, and goaltending coach Rick St. Croix.

Maple Leafs director of pro scouting Steve Kasper and director of player development Jim Hughes were also fired. The moves are in addition to other changes in the organization's full and part-time scouts in its pro, amateur and player evaluation departments.

Steve Staios will return to his previous role as manager of player development. The organization will have assistant general manager Kyle Dubas and director of player personnel Mark Hunter serve as interim co-general managers while team president Brendan Shanahan seeks a full-time replacement.

Nonis was named general manager Jan. 9, 2013. The Maple Leafs went 94-97-21 while he served in that role with the organization. He originally joined the Maple Leafs as senior vice president of hockey operations on Dec. 6, 2008.

Horachek, hired as an assistant coach by the Maple Leafs on July 11, 2014, replaced Randy Carlyle as coach on Jan. 7, 2015. Horachek went 9-28-5 in 42 games after taking over for Carlyle.

Toronto (30-44-8) finished 27th in the League, 30 points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs have a 9.5 percent chance of winning the NHL Draft Lottery, which is Saturday.

Carlyle's dismissal came 40 games into the season and when Toronto was in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 21-16-3 record. Carlyle led the Maple Leafs to their only playoff appearance in the past 10 seasons in 2012-13, when they finished fifth in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Bruins, losing Game 7 in overtime 5-4 after having a three-goal lead in the third period.

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