- Craig Berube fired by the Maple Leafs Wednesday after two seasons behind the bench
- Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17, finishing 32-36-14
- Read below for John Chayka’s statement and what comes next in Toronto
Craig Berube is out in Toronto.
The Maple Leafs fired their head coach Wednesday morning, just over a week after John Chayka took over as general manager and Mats Sundin came on as senior executive adviser. Berube ran the bench for two seasons, posting an 84-62-18 record and an Atlantic Division title in 2024-25 before this year’s collapse.
Chayka was diplomatic in the team’s release.
“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” Chayka said. “This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization.”
On the ice, the picture was uglier. Toronto finished 32-36-14, dead last in the Atlantic and 15th in the Eastern Conference, while allowing a league-worst 3.60 goals per game. The Leafs closed the year 0-6-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Berube got the call Wednesday morning, after a long weekend roster review with Chayka and Sundin:
There’s also a financial wrinkle. Berube has two years left on his deal at $4.5 million per season, and per Pierre LeBrun, the Leafs will eat that money unless he lands another job.
Bigger picture: Toronto won the draft lottery last week and owns the first overall pick in June, with Gavin McKenna the consensus top prospect. Auston Matthews has reportedly told Chayka he wants real action before he commits long-term.
Berube guided the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019 and worked as a Turner Sports analyst before Toronto hired him in May 2024. His career mark sits at 365-252-90 across 707 regular-season games with the Flyers, Blues and Maple Leafs.
