Maple Leafs Promote Patrick O'Sullivan to Director of NHL Development

The Toronto Maple Leafs have promoted Patrick O'Sullivan to director of NHL development, the team announced Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. New general manager John Chayka made the move.

O'Sullivan has been a Maple Leafs development coach since the 2023-24 season, working with players including John Tavares as part of a development group that also includes Nik Antropov, Kyle Clifford, Denver Manderson and Jake Muzzin. Max Domi called O'Sullivan "probably the best development coach in the league."

O'Sullivan, a Toronto native who played 334 NHL games from 2005 to 2012, brings both playing experience and coaching insight to the role. The 41-year-old suited up for five teams during his career, including the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild and Phoenix Coyotes. He posted 58 goals and 103 assists for 161 points across those six seasons after being drafted 56th overall in the second round by Minnesota in 2003.

His playing career included a 53-point season with the Kings in 2007-08, when he recorded 22 goals and 31 assists in 82 games, his most productive year in the league. That path from second-round pick to NHL regular, followed by his move into coaching and now front-office work, gives him a perspective on player development that spans multiple stages of a hockey career.

The timing of O'Sullivan's promotion is notable. Toronto selected forward Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, adding a high-profile prospect to a development pipeline that will now fall under O'Sullivan's oversight. The promotion also comes as Chayka reshapes the hockey operations department, having parted ways with Hayley Wickenheiser, Darryl Metcalf, Mark Leach and Dave Morrison in July 2026.

The Maple Leafs have not announced additional details about O'Sullivan's specific responsibilities in the new role or who he will report to within the organization's hockey operations department.