Maple Leafs hire AHL coach of the year Spencer Carbery as assistant coach

TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs are adding to their bench, hiring Spencer Carbery as an assistant coach.

Carbery, 39, previously worked in the American Hockey League as head coach of the Hershey Bears, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals.

The Bears went 104-50-17 over Carbery’s three seasons at the helm, and he was named the AHL’s outstanding coach of the year in June after Hershey finished the campaign 24-7-9.

Carbery previously served as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Providence Bruins and as a head coach for the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit.

Originally from Victoria, Carbery played with South Carolina, Fresno, Stockton and Bakersfield in the ECHL and with Tusla in the Central Hockey League.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said in a statement that he’s “thrilled” to have Carbery join Toronto’s bench.

“Spencer possesses a great mind for the game along with the necessary work ethic, energy and communication skills we were looking for,” Keefe said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2021.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misstated the name of the ECHL.