Toronto Maple Leafs Ink Deal With Longtime Devil Lou Lamoriello

Brendan Shanahan, President and Alternate Governor of the Maple Leafs, announced today that Lou Lamoriello has been named the 16th General Manager in the Club’s history. He was with the team for 28 years, mostly as general manager, until he stepped aside May 4 when Ray Shero was hired. He got nearly three decades of it in Lamoriello, who resigned as New Jersey Devils president to take the job with a team that is undergoing an overhaul after missing the playoffs for the second straight season.

The hiring of Lamoriello isn’t likely to change the hierarchy of how things are operating in Toronto, it just brings in another experienced voice to develop personnel – this time the personnel being the green front office staff. He spent 28 years in the Devils organization. The Leafs were going with an interim GM duo of Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas, who both have expertise in scouting and junior development, meaning Lamoriello’s role might be concentrated on exclusive National Hockey League matters. Lamoriello was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2009.

New Jersey won three Stanley Cups during Lamoriello’s stay and reached the final in 2012. “I have been honored to have worked with Lou over the last two years and I will forever consider it a privilege”. Toronto also has a new coach in Mike Babcock and the team just dealt star winger Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh.

Lamoriello’s hiring is the latest piece of an organizational makeover.

The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and recently have become a laughingstock, finishing 15th in the 16-team Eastern Conference last season with a 30-44-8 record and 68 points. “He has quickly and decisively put his stamp on this organization, and we are excited about the direction of New Jersey Devils Hockey under his guidance”.