The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Saturday that Jim Hughes has been named an assistant coach with their AHL club, the Toronto Marlies.
Hughes joins Joe Paterson in the role under the direction of head coach Greg Gilbert.
In 2005-06, Hughes led the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs to a record of 43-30-3-4 in his first season as the team’s head coach. He served as the Monarchs’ assistant coach for two years prior (2003-05).
Hughes was employed for two seasons (2001-03) with the Boston Bruins, where he oversaw the team’s defense and penalty-killing units. Hughes, 39, originally joined the coaching ranks in 1992 as an assistant coach at Providence College. After two seasons with the Friars, he moved onto Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) as an assistant coach and helped lead the Engineers to the 1994-95 ECAC title.
Following three seasons in private business, he returned to coaching and joined the International Hockey League’s Orlando Solar Bears in 1999. He was a part of the Solar Bears’ 2001 Turner Cup championship team.
Hughes played four seasons of hockey at Providence College (1985-89) and served as team captain during the 1988-89 season. He was named the team’s MVP, a Hockey East conference All-Star and the Providence College male athlete of the year that same season.
