Toronto hires Jacques Lemaire as special assignment coach

Agencies/Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs have added decades of hockey experience by hiring Jacques Lemaire as special assignment coach.Lemaire, who won the Stanley Cup for new Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello’s New Jersey Devils in 1995, spent 16 full seasons and parts of two others as an NHL head coach.He worked the past six seasons with Lamoriello in New Jersey in different capacities.The 69-year-old Lemaire joins coach Mike Babcock’s staff, along with assistants D.J. Smith, Jim Hiller and Andrew Brewer and goaltending coach Steve Briere.Lemaire knew Babcock when he was an assistant and Canada won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.Lemaire has 11 Stanley Cup rings - eight from his playing days with Montreal, two as an assistant GM and one as a coach.Meanwhile, EA Sports dropped Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane from promoting and appearing on the cover of its NHL 16 video game because he is under police investigation.The popular video game company announced its decision on its Twitter account Wednesday.‘’In light of the ongoing investigation involving Patrick Kane, he will no longer be a spokesperson for the launch of EA Sports NHL 16,’’ the company said. ‘’He will not appear on the EA Sports NHL 16 cover nor participate in other EA Sports NHL 16 promotional activities.’’Kane was to appear alongside Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews in what was supposed to be the first time two NHL players have been featured on the cover. In June, the two stars were key players in leading the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup championship in six years.Kane’s lawyer, Paul Cambria, and agent, Pat Brisson, did not return messages seeking comment.