The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Ryan Hardy is joining the organization as senior director of minor league operations. In his role, he will serve as general manager of the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, as well as its ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers.
Hardy, 35, will oversee hockey operations for the Marlies and Growlers, including roster decisions and staffing. He will also work in unison with the player development department to track drafted prospects and participate in player personnel and scouting initiatives as needed.
Laurence Gilman, who had served as GM of the Marlies since 2018, will be elevated to the role of senior vice president of the Marlies while maintaining his roles as assistant GM of the Maple Leafs and governor of the AHL club. He will also continue to oversee the business operations of the Marlies.
Hardy had served as GM of the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel since the start of their 2018-19 season. Under Hardy, the Steel compiled an overall regular-season record of 116-39-8-2, posting the most wins in the league over that stretch. The club has won the Anderson Cup as the league’s regular-season champion in each of the last two seasons while it captured the USHL’s Clark Cup Championship this past season.
Hardy was named the USHL’s General Manager of the Year, as voted on by his peers, in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
In Toronto, Hardy will be reunited with Marlies head coach Greg Moore, who served as the Steel’s head coach from 2018 until his hiring by Toronto on Dec. 1, 2019.
