For years following the departure of Jarome Iginla, the Calgary Flames were led by Mark Giordano for eight seasons, and in that time, he solidified himself as one of, if not the greatest defenseman in the history of the franchise.
He has long since departed however, as he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in their original expansion draft, and after that, he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, retiring with his hometown team. Since then, Gio has served as an advisor with the organization, but after announcing sweeping changes to their coaching staff, it appears as though the former Flames captain has a new role in the league.
Steve Sullivan, who helped improve the Leafs' PP for half a season, is named head coach of the Toronto Marlies.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) July 9, 2026
Mark Giordano elevated to assistant coach of the Marlies.
That league however is the AHL, as the team announced that Giordano has been named an assistant coach of the Toronto Marlies under Steve Sullivan, who has been named the new Head Coach of the reigning AHL Champions.
For a long time in Calgary, Giordano was seen as a future coach given the combination of his immense leadership and hockey IQ, and now, the 42-year-old begins his hockey journey as a coach, with many expecting him to one day end up behind a bench in the National Hockey League.
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