It has been over a week since the Toronto Maple Leafs hired former St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, who was previously let go by the Blues in December.
Berube, a 58-year-old native of Calahoo, Alberta, takes over the role vacated by Sheldon Keefe, who coached the Maple Leafs from 2019 until his firing.
Craig Berube, the ex-head coach of the St. Louis Blues, is set to face a challenge.
Craig Berube, the former St. Louis Blues head coach, brings a strong coaching record of 281-190-72 to his new role. He has experience with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Blues, where he led the team to their only Stanley Cup win.
Berube also played 17 years in the NHL, playing for several teams, including the Flyers, Capitals, Flames, Leafs, and Islanders. His coaching record is significantly better than his playing career.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not won a championship in 57 seasons, are hoping Berube can bring stability and success to the team after another disappointing postseason run.
In the 2023/24 season, Craig Berube finished his tenure with the St. Louis Blues with a 13-14-1 record before being let go. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs had another successful regular season, with Auston Matthews scoring 69 goals and 100 points. However, the Leafs were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Bruins, marking the third time in four seasons that they suffered an early exit.
As the Leafs enter the offseason, they have several key players who could become unrestricted free agents in July, including wingers Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi, defensemen TJ Brodie, Joel Edmundson, Mark Giordano, and Ilya Lyubushkin, and goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Despite this uncertainty, Toronto GM Brad Treliving believes that Berube can command respect from his players, even those who may not be with the team much longer.
Berube himself has stated that he wants the focus to be on the team as a whole, rather than just certain players. This aligns with the Leafs’ approach since hiring Treliving in 2019 and firing Sheldon Keefe. The Leafs are looking to move away from their “core four” mentality and embrace a more team-centric approach, especially as they enter a rebuilding phase.
It remains to be seen whether Berube’s tenure in Toronto will lead to the Leafs making a deeper playoff run in the 2024/25 season. However, with Berube’s extensive playing and coaching experience, the Leafs are hopeful that they can experience a quick resurgence when the new season begins in October.
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