Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
It’s a short summer, but the Toronto Marlies are making it count.
The Calder Cup champions have been busy since they finished off the Chicago Wolves to win their second title back on June 19. Time has been limited for a team that has since undergone significant changes to its coaching staff, while sorting out plans for the 2026-27 season that opens with a banner-raising on Oct. 3.
John Gruden, the Marlies’ championship head coach, has joined the parent Maple Leafs as an assistant coach. Former Marlies assistant Michael Dyck took an opportunity with the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants. The Leafs selected Steve Sullivan to guide the Marlies in his first head-coaching role. Former head coach Greg Moore is returning, this time as an assistant, to be joined by Denver Manderson. And long-time NHL defenseman Mark Giordano will be an assistant coach after helping Gruden on the bench this past season.
And as part of a major front-office restructuring by new Leafs GM John Chayka, AHL Hall of Famer Chris Bourque has been named assistant general manager of the Marlies, a move into the executive ranks after he joined the organization as a scout in 2022.
Roster-wise, the Leafs have been able to keep their AHL affiliate’s Calder Cup roster remarkably intact, relatively. Defenseman Henry Thrun signed with the Winnipeg Jets while goaltender Dennis Hildeby went to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade. Otherwise, Vinni Lettieri, Ryan Tverberg and William Villeneuve all signed new deals with the Maple Leafs. Marc Johnstone, Reese Johnson and captain Logan Shaw remain under AHL contract with the Marlies. Bo Groulx, Michael Pezzetta, Jacob Quillan, Dakota Mermis, Marshall Rifai, Borya Valis and playoff MVP Artur Akhtyamov are all still with the organization.
The Maple Leafs have also added depth by bringing in goaltender Samuel Hlavaj, defenseman Cole McWard and forward Henrik Rybinski (Hershey Bears) via free agency.
All of those moves – on the roster, on the bench and in the boardroom – have come amid a dizzying amount of change in Toronto for the NHL club. But it hasn’t stopped the Marlies from celebrating their accomplishment with family and friends. Shaw brought the Calder Cup to his native Nova Scotia, spending a day with the trophy at the Glace Bay rink where he grew up.
Landon Sim, another Nova Scotian, celebrated with the Cup on the water near his home in New Glasgow. Luke Haymes welcomed the Calder Cup to Ottawa while Matthew Barbolini had his trophy day back home in Buffalo. Villeneuve and Cédric Paré celebrated back home in Quebec. Ben Danford (Madoc, Ont.), Noah Chadwick (Saskatoon, Sask.) and Reese Johnson (Red Deer, Alta.) had their days as well.
Andiamo! 🤌
Vinni Lettieri celebrated his day with the Calder Cup with family and friends in Minneapolis 💙 pic.twitter.com/vgYB1LRVWT
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) August 18, 2026
Summer celebrations are part of the reward for all of the work that went toward capturing the Calder Cup. But the days pass by quickly, and soon enough these Marlies – or potential Leafs – will be back on the ice.
