[uWoHollywood]

Jason Taylor was still in shock: his life had completely changed in a matter of hours. Here he sits at his desk as the new General Manager and Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. And just a few hours ago, it belonged to ex-GM Gord Stellick; the change was so fast that Stellick’s cup of coffee was still somewhat warm. Taylor was optimistic that he could ramp up quickly on the management side of things, but was out of his depth in terms of on-ice coaching (for now). He knew the best way for himself and for the team to succeed was to hire the best coaching staff he could.






He immediately asked his assistant for the contact information of Scotty Bowman. Bowman had coached the Buffalo Sabres for most of the 80s before stepping down early in 86-87. Since then, he had been operating as a freelance scout. Taylor was able to reach him, and laid out his proposal: he wanted Bowman to run the Leafs’ offense. The team was flush with young, high-potential forwards such as Ed Olczyk, Vincent Damphousse and Gary Leeman. But Taylor knew those players hadn’t reached their full potential, and suspected they (and others) had been demoralized by John Brophy’s aggressive coaching style. Taylor was also upfront: he wanted to learn how to be a coach, and wanted to learn from one of the best to ever step behind a hockey bench. Bowman was intrigued; he had guided the Habs to glory, and liked the idea of helping mold the Leafs into a winner while not having the full pressure and spotlight that comes with being the bench boss in Toronto. He then gave another name for Taylor to hire, with an offer: get him, and I’m in.





Per Scotty Bowman's feedback, Taylor's next target was NY Islanders’ legend Al Arbour. Arbour had guided the Isles to four straight cups, and stepped down after the 85-86 season. Taylor gave a pitch similar to what he told Bowman; he wanted Arbour to guide the Leafs’ defense, while also helping guide Taylor in his development as a coach. Arbour was in, specifically citing his respect for Leafs’ legend Borje Salming and his love for the Leafs (Arbour was a member of the 1962 Cup-winning Leafs team).




Taylor also reached out to two other top minds: Craig Patrick and Gerry Cheevers. Patrick would run the team’s Skills training, while Gerry Cheevers would be tasked with solidifying the Leafs’ very shaky goaltending situation. Cheevers (who coached the Bruins for four-and-a-half seasons in the early 80s) liked the idea of his story coming full circle, as he played 2 games with the Leafs in 61-62 before Boston grabbed him in the 1965 Intra-League Draft. And as soon as Patrick heard he’s be working with (and learning from) Arbour and Bowman, he couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.


Lastly, Taylor wanted someone who could keep their finger on the pulse of the locker room, while also providing invaluable insight into the ebb and flow of the game. One man came to mind: Herb Brooks. Taylor approached Brooks, and told him he wanted Brooks’ ability to reach and motivate young players, describing the Leafs as having an up-and-coming core in need of guidance. Brooks was intrigued, and agreed to join the staff with a focus on motivation and tactics.

Taylor was thrilled at the experience, gravitas and intelligence of his newly-assembled coaching staff. Now it was time to plan for what was probably the Leafs’ biggest weakness: scouting.