Toronto Marlies hire Steve Sullivan as assistant coach

A former NHL scorer is hopping behind the bench.

On Thursday, the Toronto Marlies, American Hockey League affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced that the team has hired former NHL forward Steve Sullivan as an assistant coach.

Sullivan will serve under head coach John Gruden, and will work alongside Michael Dyck, as well as goalie coach Hannu Toivonen and video coach Troy Paquette. This is Sullivan’s first coaching gig at the professional level.

The 50-year-old worked with the Arizona Coyotes from 2014 to 2021 in various roles. After serving as a development coach for two years, Sullivans was the director of player development for the 2016-17 campaign. Then, he was promoted to assistant general manager, briefly serving as interim GM with the Coyotes in 2020 after John Chayka left the team. During his tenure, Sullivan was the GM of Arizona’s primary affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunders, a role he held through most of four seasons.

Sullivan is no stranger to being in Toronto. During his 16 seasons as a player in the NHL, the Timmins, Ontario native spent parts of four seasons with the Maple Leafs, playing 154 games for the club from 1997 to 1999. In that time, the former Soo Greyhound notched 38 goals and 50 assist. In 1,011 career appearances, Sullivan made stops with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and Coyotes, scoring 290 goals and 457 points, including 23 points in 50 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The 1993 CHL Memorial Cup champion played 143 games in the AHL with the Albany River Rats, then the AHL affiliate of the Devils. Sullivan scored 72 goals and 99 assists with the team, including winning the Calder Cup in 1995. In 1996, he was named an AHL All-Star, as well as being named to the league’s first All-Star Team.