Former Leaf being considered for vacant assistant coach position with the Leafs
With Sheldon Keefe surprisingly returning behind the bench ahead of the 2023-24 regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been searching for a replacement for Spencer Carbery on Keefe's staff. Per a report, the team has serious interest in Mike Van Ryn, who currently presides in St. Louis.
It was reported by Andy Strickland, rinkside reporter for Bally Sports Midwest, who also hosts the Cam and Strick Podcast. Mike Van Ryn has been behind the bench for the St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach since 2018-19, replacing Darryl Sydor, and then winning the Stanley Cup in his first season.
Van Ryn was a first round pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, drafted 26th overall by the New Jersey Devils, ahead of players like Scott Gomez, Jonathan Cheechoo, Mike Fisher, and Mike Ribeiro.
His NHL career only last 8 seasons, spending 3 years in St.Louis, the next 4 in Florida, and then finishing things off in Toronto in 2008-09. He scored 30 goals and 129 points in 353 games, including 3 goals and 11 points in 27 games for the Leafs.
After his NHL career came to an end, he became an assistant coach for the Niagara IceDogs and the Houston Aeros between 2010-11 to 2012-13. He was then named an associate coach for the Kitchener Rangers in 2013-14 before being named head coach in 2015-16.
He jumped back into the NHL as a development coach for the Arizona Coyotes in 2016-17 before being named head coach of their AHL affiliate in Tucson. He was quickly scooped up by the Blues after just one season with the Tucson Roadrunners and has spent the better part of the last 5 seasons in St. Louis.
