Brackett joins Leafs as assistant GM; Hamilton becomes chief of staff
One of the most highly-regarded scouts in the NHL is moving up in the world.
On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they have hired Judd Brackett as their new assistant general manager, player evaluation. The team also added Freddie Hamilton as chief of staff.
Brackett recently left his post as director of amateur scouting for the Minnesota Wild. It was a position he held since coming to the organization in 2020, and has been a big part in orchestrating the team’s prospect pool, leading to the Wild drafting the likes of goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, defenseman Zeev Buium and forward Danila Yurov.
The Harwich, Mass. native joins a Leafs organization that is in transition. After former general manager Brad Treliving left the team late in the 2025-26 season, Toronto hired former Arizona Coyotes GM John Chayka to take over the reins, while Hockey Hall of Famer returned to the team as senior executive advisor of hockey operations. An AGM spot opened up after longtime assistant Brandon Pridham exited the organization last month.
In a statement, Chayka noted the importance of bringing Brackett into the organization.
“We are thrilled to welcome Judd to our organization,” Chaya said. “He has established one of the strongest amateur scouting and drafting track records in the NHL and has consistently demonstrated an ability to adapt and evolve his approach as the game changes. As we continue to build our hockey operations department, Judd will play a key role in integrating traditional scouting, video analysis, and data-driven insights to strengthen our decision-making process.”
Before joining the Wild, Brackett was the director of amateur scouting for the Vancouver Canucks, a team that was also reported to be in the running to add him to its front office staff. He held the position for five seasons and also worked as an amateur scout from 2008 to 2015. While with the organization, he oversaw the Canucks drafting the likes of Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, Artus Silovs, Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander.
While as an amateur scout with Vancouver, Brackett was also the director of player personnel for the United States Hockey League’s Indiana Ice. He’s alos been a scout for the United States at each of the past three IIHF World Junior Championships, with the U.S. winning gold in 2024 and 2025.
For a team that’s looking to the future, having someone like Brackett in the front office might be what the Leafs need to further help steer the ship in the right direction. He has a clear track record of identifying young talent that can one day be developed into an everyday NHLer. While Toronto wants to be back in playoff contention sooner rather than later, Brackett can help set the franchise up for long-term success.
Hamilton will be focused on planning initiatives across the hockey operations department. Prior to becoming an executive, he had a solid pro career, playing in 75 NHL games.