ABOVE: Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Horachek said he’s looking to stress consistency above all else for a team that has lacked it all season
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Peter Horachek as interim head coach, the team announced Wednesday.
Horachek had been serving as the Leafs assistant coach since the beginning of the season.
Steve Staios, the Leafs’ Manager of Player Development, will also support the coaching staff on the bench and in practice, the NHL club said in a media release.
Horachek, 54, joined the Leafs in July after serving as head coach of the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage at the start of the 2013-14 season.
He was also appointed head coach of the Florida Panthers with 66 games remaining the same year.
The move comes a day after Randy Carlyle was fired by team management following a shaky and inconsistent first half of the season.
WATCH: Maple Leafs players discuss appointment of Peter Horachek as interim coach
The Leafs (21-16-3) are fourth in the Atlantic Division with 45 points, one point ahead of the Boston Bruins for the second Eastern Conference wild-card berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The team has been in a slump of late with 7 losses in its last 10 games.
The Leafs face-off against the Washington Capitals tonight at the Air Canada Centre.
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