The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Craig Berube as the 32nd head coach in franchise history.
32 happens to be the number of years since Berube tied up his skates for the blue and white, and now he’s tying up, well, his tie, and hopes to be the one to help propel this team to their long-awaited success.
The Maple Leafs exited the playoffs in the first round for the seventh time in eight years, resulting in Head Coach Sheldon Keefe’s firing five days after their season was over.
Through the regular season, the Leafs record under Keefe was an impressive 212-97-40. For years now playoff entry has been a formality for Toronto, and it’s very clear that their success before April was not the reason for Keefe’s departure.
Berube’s hiring is the beginning of what promises to be a very dramatic summer in Toronto.
Who is Craig Berube?
Berube started his coaching career shortly after his playing career ended. He was with the Philadelphia Flyers organization for 13 years, four of them with their AHL affiliate, seven of them as an assistant coach with the big club, and the last two years as the head coach.
After leaving Philly, he had a one-year stop with the AHL Chicago Wolves before joining the St. Louis Blues as an associate.
After two years, Berube got his second chance as a head coach halfway through the 2018-19 season for the St. Louis Blues, which ended in raising the Stanley Cup.
Since then he’s won a singular playoff round, missed the playoffs last year, and was on his way to missing the playoffs this year before being relieved of his duties in December.
Craig Berube was easily the most sought-after coach before Toronto picked him up. His interviews with New Jersey and Winnipeg were well documented, yet it always felt like Toronto was going to be his next home.
In 543 games as a head coach, Berube has a record of 281-190-72.
What to Expect From the New Bench Boss
Around the league, Berube has the reputation of being inspiring, motivating, and perhaps more importantly in a market like Toronto, holding his players accountable.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, the players up here have a reputation for being coddled and comfortable, leaving accountability much to be desired by the fanbase.
Speaking about players on his Blues team last season, Berube said:
They’re getting paid lots of money, and they’re not doing their job. End of story. That is exactly what Leafs fans have been saying about their club for years.
In years past, whenever Sheldon Keefe would publicly challenge the efforts of his players, he’d typically walk it back within 24 hours. With his job on the line, that wasn’t so much the case this year, but it’s still something that hangs over the former coach’s time with the Leafs.
I don’t know the man, but I can promise you this: Craig Berube is not walking anything back.
Another thing he’s known for is getting the most out of his players in big moments. In Toronto, these players are not strangers to great regular seasons. It’s the big moment where this team falls short every single year.
What This Means for the Maple Leafs
In a summer full of potential drama, this was the first shoe that needed to drop. The reality is, the roster has a lot of question marks. Questions about who should come in, and questions about who should be moved out.
Matthews and Nylander just signed extensions, and Marner and Tavares have no-movement clauses, not to mention a hefty salary. Goaltender Ilya Samsonov is likely out the door, and while Joe Woll is a good young goaltender, his health leaves a lot of to be concerned about.
In Berube’s Stanley Cup-winning season, he had Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo as a part of his D-core. As good as Morgan Rielly is, the Leafs don’t have that.
This is not as simple as hiring a new coach, and BOOM, you win the Stanley Cup. However, it’s a new voice. A new approach, and a new culture moving forward.
General Manager Brad Treliving has a lot of important decisions to make before opening night. So far, to start off his summer, it feels like he started by making the right one.
For More Sports News:
Click here for a more in-depth analysis of every series this NHL post-season from Marc Sautter and others, plus what’s happening around the league.
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
