Joe Pavelski talks about where things stand between him and the Maple Leafs
Former Sharks captain Joe Pavelski remains intrigued by the idea of coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, and said he's eager to see where the hiring process leads as the Original Six franchise searches for its next bench boss under new general manager John Chayka.
Pavelski, 41, confirmed reports that he's had "a couple of discussions" with the Leafs, who have cast a wide net in their search for a replacement for Craig Berube, who was fired by Chayka last month after two years in Toronto.
Chayka said earlier this month he does not have a specific timeline to have a new coach. The Leafs have whittled down a list of over 50 candidates to roughly 20, and Pavelski, despite lacking professional coaching experience, was expected to be part of that second group.
"It’s a process," Pavelski said Thursday in Stateline, Nev., where he’ll defend his American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament title next month. "They’re (being) very thorough. … They have a bunch of stuff on their end, and you’re just being patient and figuring out things on your end, so there’s not a lot to talk about right now."
Since his retirement in 2024 following a standout 18-year NHL career, including the first 13 with the Sharks, Pavelski has stayed involved in the game. He volunteers his expertise roughly once a week at the University of Wisconsin, his alma mater, and coaching his son Nate's team, the 15U AAA Madison Capitols.
The Leafs have a veteran corps but had significant injuries and finished last in the Atlantic Division this past season with a 32-36-14 record, leading to Berube’s dismissal. But Toronto won the NHL draft lottery’s first drawing last month and holds the No. 1 overall pick for the first round of the draft on June 26. The Sharks won the second lottery draw and will draft No. 2.
Asked what intrigues him about potentially becoming an NHL coach, Pavelski mentioned the enjoyment and satisfaction he's received from coaching his son's team, which he said has helped his transition into retirement by keeping his "competitive juices" flowing.
"So I do like the coaching side," Pavelski said. "I’ve always thought the game well. It was a strength of mine when I played. When the opportunity kind of came (from the Leafs) to explore it more, it was something I definitely wanted to entertain, and that’s where kind of the discussions have led."
The Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are the only two NHL teams without a full-time coach. If Pavelski does not get the Leafs job, might he be open to talking with other teams in the future about their coaching positions, if they become open?
"We’re working through things like that," Pavelski said, adding later. "There’s a certain level of timing that comes into all this, and where my family’s at, and why certain things work (or) not. It’s something we’re not rushing into. We’re looking through on our end very thoroughly, and we’ll see where it goes."
Pavelski was drafted in the seventh round by the Sharks in 2003 and went on to become one of the NHL’s most respected players, compiling a Hockey Hall of Fame-worthy resume with 1,068 points in 1,332 career NHL games. That includes 476 goals in the regular season and 71 goals in 201 career playoff games.
Pavelski played in two Stanley Cup finals, losing in six games in both 2016 with the Sharks and in 2020 with the Dallas Stars, two stops where he was coached by Pete DeBoer.
"Elite hockey mind with a teacher mentality," DeBoer told the Toronto Sun about Pavelski. "He was always working on his own game, but also was first to help others and loved talking systems and strategy. He had a great bench feel as a player on adjustments, line combinations, shift length.
"There are not many players I could confidently say could do this. But he would be at the top of that list for players I have coached."
Recently, Pavelski spoke to former Sharks teammate Tomas Hertl, who is now chasing the Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Hertl was in a 29-game goal drought last month when he got a pep talk from Pavelski. Now, heading into Wednesday's Game 5, Hertl had scored five times in his last 11 games.
"You know what (Hertl) can do, and you may see a couple of little things, and it was just a simple call to remind him kind of what he can do, and a couple of areas he could get better at," said Pavelski, who didn't want to take credit for Hertl's production.
"You’re cheering for your teammates that mean a lot to you."
Pavelski has also kept an eye on the Sharks. He's been impressed by the patience general manager Mike Grier has shown in building the team from the ground up, but also by how well Macklin Celebrini has played in his first two NHL seasons.
Celebrini has led the Sharks in scoring in both years and set a new franchise single-season scoring record with 115 points in 82 games in 2025-26, helping the team go from last place in back-to-back years to nearly making the playoffs this past season.
Celebrini's rise to stardom alongside a promising young corps has helped fill SAP Center on a regular basis, as it was when Pavelski was in San Jose.
"You're excited because the fans are coming out, they can feel it," Pavelski said. "I think everyone in the Bay Area can feel the Sharks are coming, but you want them to take that next step. They got a little bit of a taste of what a playoff race is like and what the fans can make the Shark Tank feel like.
"I’ve talked to a few of them, and how surprised they were, with the atmosphere, because they haven’t experienced it."
Staff writer Cam Inman contributed to this story.
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 4:43 PM.