Longtime NHL talent evaluator Mark Leach is returning to the Detroit Red Wings’ scouting staff, according to Red Wings and Dallas Stars insider Sean Shapiro, whose post on X on Monday, Oct. 5, was reported by Octopus Thrower. The report is unconfirmed. The Red Wings have not announced the hire, and his exact title has not been reported.
Octopus Thrower reported that Leach would work alongside Jesse Wallin, Detroit’s head of amateur scouting, likely as an amateur scout or an advisor. The outlet noted the move comes as assistant general manager Kris Draper shifts to pro scouting.
A familiar name in Detroit
If the report holds, it would be a homecoming. Leach was an amateur scout for the Red Wings from 1996 to 2013, a stretch that included four Stanley Cup championships. He left for Dallas in 2013, following Jim Nill when Nill moved from Detroit’s front office to become the Stars’ general manager, and spent more than a decade scouting for the Stars.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Leach as their director of amateur scouting in July 2024, according to TSN and Daily Faceoff. Octopus Thrower reported his time in Toronto covered two drafts and ended when general manager Brad Treliving left the organization.
Front office in transition
The reported hire comes during a period of change in Detroit’s hockey operations department. Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager in July, and Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM in September while the club’s search for a permanent replacement continues.
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