Maple Leafs make AHL coaching changes

Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Kyle Dubas announced changes to the Toronto Marlies coaching staff on Tuesday, as Gord Dineen will not return as head coach.

Dineen has been offered a position to remain on as an associate coach while the club announced it will begin its search for a new head coach immediately.

Associate coach Derek King was relieved of his duties while assistant coach Ben Simon has been offered another position within the organization.

Named head coach on July 15, 2014, Dineen had also served as the Marlies’ assistant coach in their five previous seasons. In 2014-15, the Marlies secured the seventh seed in the AHL’s Western Conference with 87 points and a 40-27-9-0 regular-season record but were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs in the first round, losing the best-of-five series against the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings) three games to two.