

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Steve Briere has been named the team’s goaltending coach. The Maple Leafs have also hired Ari Vuori as their Director of European Scouting.

Briere joins the Leafs after serving as the owner and head instructor of Canadian Professional Goalie Schools in addition to his role as goaltender coach with several Junior level teams (the NAHL’s Topeka Roadrunners as well as the USHL’s Fargo Force and Des Moines Buccaneers). Briere also served an assistant at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, helping the Chargers capture the CHA Championship in 2007.

As a player, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native spent time in the USHL, NCAA, ECHL, IHL and AHL in addition to a stint in Great Britain.

Vuori brings nearly two decades of European scouting experience to the Maple Leafs hockey operations department having served as a European scout with the Detroit Red Wings for eight seasons (2007-08 through 2014-15) and with the Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons (1996-97 through 2006-07). He also held a hockey operations role with TPS of the Finnish Elite League for eight seasons.

As a player, Vuori collected 371 points (167 goals, 204 assists) in 503 regular season games over 13 seasons in the Finnish Elite League. He also spent the 1981-82 season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls and the Niagara Falls Flyers.