Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will officially name a new general manager at an 11 a.m. (et) news conference Friday.

There are several finalists for the position, but various Toronto media outlets have reported that John Ferguson, Jr. will take the helm. Other names that have been linked to the opening include former New York Rangers GM Neil Smith and Vancouver Canucks director of player personnel Steve Tambellini.

After spending five years as assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues, Ferguson was promoted to vice president and director of hockey operations on February 26, 2001. While holding the position, he has worked under Blues GM Larry Pleau, performing such tasks as negotiating player contracts and acting as president of the team's AHL affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ferguson, 34, also oversaw all of St. Louis' professional and amateur scouting.

The Maple Leafs' GM opening was created when head coach Pat Quinn relinquished his dual role with the organization to focus solely on running the team behind the bench. Quinn had served as both coach and GM since July 14, 1999.