Mike Gillis and Mats Sundin could bring a new kind of leadership to the Maple Leafs
mike gillis is part of a conversation now unfolding inside the Toronto Maple Leafs’ search for new hockey leadership, and the name carries a different kind of weight because it sits beside another familiar one: Mats Sundin. The club is considering what its next front-office structure should look like, and the discussion is already reaching beyond routine staffing into questions of identity, credibility and trust.
Why is Mike Gillis being discussed with the Maple Leafs?
The idea of Mike Gillis entering the Leafs’ picture comes from the larger search at the top of the organization. The club is rebuilding its hockey operations after the firing of general manager Brad Treliving on March 30 and the earlier departure of Brendan Shanahan in May of 2025. That has left the team open to a wider reset, including the possibility of a president of hockey operations and a general manager working in tandem.
In that framework, Gillis has been floated as someone Toronto could pursue. The appeal is tied to his range of experience. Jeff Marek, a hockey analyst and host, described Gillis as someone who has worked as a general manager, consulted in business settings, served as a player agent and stayed connected in executive circles. In that same discussion, the possibility of a management group that includes Sundin came up as a practical fit for a club trying to define its next structure.
Where does Mats Sundin fit into the Leafs’ plans?
Mats Sundin is already in Toronto and is expected to meet with ownership about a possible role in the hockey department. The conversation is open-ended, with no specific job defined yet, but the interest is real. MLSE president Keith Pelley has already met with the former captain at least once, and the organization is considering an advisory role or something similar.
For the Leafs, Sundin offers something that is hard to measure on a chart: immediate credibility. He remains the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and one of its most recognizable alumni. Chris Johnston, a senior NHL writer with The Athletic, noted that Sundin has been around the team more in recent years, especially around the club’s Stockholm visit in November of 2023 and during efforts to honor Börje Salming.
Sundin himself has spoken warmly about that connection. During that visit, he said Toronto “has meant so incredibly much” to his career and that coming back feels like coming home. Those words help explain why the discussion around mike gillis is not only about structure, but also about whether the organization wants leadership that feels rooted in the club’s own history.
Could a management duo actually work?
The idea being explored is not simply one person stepping in, but a possible division of labor. One version places a president in charge of broader organizational matters and a GM focused on the hockey product. That approach was compared to a two-person model that separates public-facing business duties from day-to-day team decisions.
Jeff Marek said the combination of Sundin and Gillis “does make sense, ” in part because the Leafs have wanted Sundin involved for years. The logic is straightforward: Sundin brings presence and familiarity, while Gillis brings a track record of working across different parts of the sport and beyond it. In a moment when the Leafs are trying to fill a power vacuum, that blend is being treated as worth exploring.
The club has not defined the outcome yet, and the process remains fluid. But the discussion itself says something important about where the organization is heading. This is not only a search for job titles. It is a search for a voice that can steady the room and a structure that can hold under pressure.
What happens next for the Maple Leafs?
For now, the next step is simply more conversation. Ownership is meeting with Sundin, and the organization is weighing how to rebuild the front office after a season that ended with major change at the top. The possibility of mike gillis being part of that conversation adds another layer to a search that is already broader than expected.
The scene is familiar enough: a former captain back in Toronto, owners asking what comes next, and a franchise trying to define itself again. On Friday morning, that looked like a meeting. In the days ahead, it could become something more, or it could remain one more open question in a period of transition.
