Maple Leafs hire Crosby's longtime trainer to run sport performance department

TORONTO, CANADA - DECEMBER 30: The Toronto Maple Leafs logo is seen in front of the locker room ahead of playing the New Jersey Devils at the Scotiabank Arena on December 30, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty

The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Andy O'Brien to oversee their sport performance department, the team announced Monday.

O'Brien has a longstanding relationship with Sidney Crosby and ran the Pittsburgh Penguins' sports science and performance department from 2015-21, a span in which the club won a pair of Stanley Cups. O'Brien also consulted with the Florida Panthers for the past several seasons.

"We are thrilled to welcome Andy and his sports performance team to the Toronto Maple Leafs and look forward to the impact they will have on the organization," general manager John Chayka said in a statement. "Providing every resource possible to help our players perform at their best is the highest priority at every level of the organization."

Chayka added: "We will continue to invest in every opportunity to maximize the development and performance of every player. Andy's record as an innovator and winner, coupled with his values, philosophy, and vision, are wholly aligned with what we are building here in Toronto."

Chayka, whom Toronto hired in May, has overhauled the team's front office since taking over. The club brought in franchise icon Mats Sundin to be a senior adviser, hired Judd Brackett as AGM, and parted ways with longtime executives Brandon Pridham and Hayley Wickenheiser.

The Maple Leafs also hired Jim Hiller as head coach and drafted Gavin McKenna first overall in what's been a busy offseason after a 28th-place finish in 2025-26.

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