The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Derek Clancey as assistant general manager, player personnel, the team announced Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Clancey spent last season as an assistant GM with the Canucks, overseeing Vancouver’s pro and amateur scouting efforts.
- The 54-year-old also worked as a pro scout under Leafs GM Brad Treliving in 2021-22.
- Toronto now has five assistant general managers: Clancey, Brandon Pridham, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser (player development), Ryan Hardy (minor-league operations) and Darryl Metcalf (hockey research and development).
We’ve hired Derek Clancey as Assistant General Manager, Player Personnel
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 18, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What Clancey brings to Toronto
This is just the latest step in Treliving remaking the Leafs’ front office in his image.
First, the new Leafs GM brought in Shane Doan to help replace the former player dynamic that Jason Spezza brought before he left for Pittsburgh with the fired Kyle Dubas. Clancey brings a more prototypical, experienced front office dynamic to the Leafs, having served in a variety of roles (pro scout, director of pro scouting, director of player personnel, assistant GM) in the Penguins and Canucks’ front offices. He also worked for Treliving as a pro scout for a season in Calgary. — Siegel
What they’re saying
“We are excited to add Derek to our hockey operations department,” Treliving said in a release Tuesday. “I feel Derek is one of the premier talent evaluators in our game. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and will play a big role as we continue our goal of building a championship team.”
Backstory
Prior to his role with the Flames in 2021-22, Clancey spent 14 seasons with Pittsburgh and had multiple head-coaching stints in the ECHL from 1999 to 2007. He was elected to the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2020, having totaled 524 points (157 goals, 367 assists) during his eight-year playing career.
Treliving took over the Maple Leafs front office in May after spending the past nine seasons as GM of the Calgary Flames.
Required reading
(Photo: David Kirouac / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
