Music: {allcanada} Toronto demotes Dineen, looks for new coach

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

{allcanada} Toronto demotes Dineen, looks for new coach

The housecleaning continues and yet another important job has opened up within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

Gord Dineen will not return as head coach of the Toronto Marlies next season, Maple Leafs assistant general manager Kyle Dubas announced Tuesday.

Dineen has been offered a position to remain with the Marlies as an associate coach while the American Hockey League club begins an immediate search for a new head coach.

Marlies associate coach Derek King was relieved of his duties, and assistant coach Ben Simon has been offered another position within the organization.

At the top of the list to replace Dineen as the Marlies' bench boss could be Sheldon Keefe. The coach of the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds worked under Dubas before the latter joined the Maple Leafs.

Keefe guided the Greyhounds to a remarkable 54-12-2 record in 2014-15, his first season behind the bench since Dubas departed for the NHL.

Dineen held the Marlies head job for less than a calendar year.

Promoted to run the Marlies' bench on July 15, 2014, Dineen had previously served as the Marlies' assistant coach in five seasons.

Under Dineen, the Leafs' AHL affiliate secured the playoffs' seventh seed with 87 points and a 39-28-9 regular season record but was eliminated from Calder Cup contention in the first round, losing a best-of-five series to the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings).

The big club continues its search for a new general manager and head coach as well.