The Toronto Marlies named John Gruden on Tuesday as the eighth head coach in team history.
The 53-year-old former defenceman joins the Marlies after spending the past five seasons as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins (2022-23) and the New York Islanders (2018-22).
Gruden succeeds Greg Moore, who, along with assistants A.J. MacLean and John Snowden, were let go in May after the Marlies were swept in the first round of the American Hockey League playoffs.
Gruden also served as a head coach in the Ontario Hockey League for two seasons, most notably helping the Hamilton Bulldogs capture a J. Ross Robertson Cup in 2018 after a 43-18-7 regular-season record.
A native of Virginia, Minn., Gruden appeared in 92 NHL games and 175 AHL games after being selected in the eighth round (168th overall) of the 1990 NHL Draft by the Boston Bruins.
"We're very pleased to name John as the head coach of the Toronto Marlies," said Ryan Hardy, Maple Leafs assistant general manager of minor league operations, in a team release. "John has supported the development and performance of his players throughout his coaching career while delivering team success at every level."
