- Craig Berube says the Maple Leafs lost their “emotional leader” when Mitch Marner signed in Vegas
- Toronto crashed to 28th overall the year after Marner left for the Golden Knights
- Read below for Berube’s full breakdown of what Marner brought every night
Craig Berube finally said out loud what a lot of people in Toronto were thinking.
The former Maple Leafs coach was asked about Mitch Marner’s departure on the “Simmer’s Morning Skate” podcast, and he didn’t dance around it.
“I thought we lost our emotional leader, for sure.”
Here’s Berube laying it out:
Berube kept going. He credited Marner as the guy who set the tone in games, on the bench, and in practice.
“I thought Mitch was the energy. He brought the energy and the emotion to the game on a nightly basis. Vocal guy, chatted a lot on the bench, chatted a lot in practice. If he came back to the bench, he let guys know, ‘Pick it up, let’s go.’ He was great. I really enjoyed coaching him.”
Marner walked last summer after nine seasons with his hometown team, signing an eight-year deal with the Golden Knights.
Without him, Toronto fell apart. The Leafs won the Atlantic and reached the second round in 2024-25, then nosedived to 28th in the league the very next year.
Berube paid for it. Toronto fired him in May and cut ties with GM Brad Treliving before handing the front office to John Chayka.
Vegas suited him just fine. He put up 80 points in 81 games and led the entire playoff field in scoring as the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final.
The knock on him in Toronto was always the postseason. The Leafs made the playoffs nine straight years with Marner but won just two rounds, and he managed 63 points in 70 career playoff games there.
Marner opened up this offseason about the dark times he went through in Toronto, which makes Berube’s read on his energy stand out even more.
The Golden Knights got their emotional leader. Toronto is still searching for one.
