Craig Berube said what convinced him to accept the job as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs was the opportunity to work with a team brimming with talent.
Berube was introduced as the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at a press conference. He succeeds Sheldon Keefe, who was fired on May 9 after Toronto was eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“Obviously when you look at the roster… There are some very talented players here,” Berube agreed. And a great opportunity to build a team that can progress and become something, not something better, but that can take the next step. »
Keefe was 212-97-40 in five seasons at the helm of the Maple Leafs, but was a lackluster 16-21 in the postseason, including 1-5 this year. .
The Leafs were unable to continue their progress after finally advancing past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004, after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in 2022-23.
“Watching the playoffs this year, I observed changes that had already been made in their philosophy and their playing structure, and it was him [le directeur général Brad Treliving] who initiated this, mentioned Berube. After speaking with Brad and [le président Brendan Shanahan]… We are sure we are on the same page. »
Berube, 58, was hired Friday after leading the St. Louis Blues for five seasons. He was notably a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s outstanding head coach, in 2019, when the Blues won the Stanley Cup.
Berube, who is from Calahoo, Alta., said the Leafs’ playoff failures are history.
“It’s in the past,” Berube said. I am focused on now, and the future. I will, of course, implement my own style here, and the style of play that I want to be advocated. And, once again, Brad and Brendan are OK with that. »
“We want to be competitive, and be the hardest on the ice. We want to be competitive every night, added Berube, regarding the style he plans to implement. We want to play north-south, with speed, and we want to be physically involved. »
Berube was fired by the Blues in December after missing the playoffs last spring. He is 281-190-72 in eight seasons as an NHL head coach with the Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.
Furthermore, Treliving indicated that he spoke with more than nine candidates before Berube was selected for the position of head coach of the Maple Leafs.
“You have to do your homework with the people who have been around, worked and played for Craig — I’ve had players tell me they would throw themselves off a bridge for him,” Treliving said.
“The connection he has with his players, the way he holds them accountable, that bond he was able to create with his staff — obviously, rigor is required,” he added .
Shanahan also praised his new head coach, especially when asked what he learned from his battles with Berube as a player.
“He was a born competitor, you always knew what to expect from him when he was on the ice, and that carried over into his coaching career,” noted Shanahan.
The Leafs will enter the summer with many questions about their star player Mitch Marner. The 27-year-old striker will be able to sign a contract extension from 1er July, as there is only one season remaining on his six-year, US$65 million deal.
Treliving indicated that Leafs management has not yet evaluated its roster, since priority had been given to the hiring of the new head coach. In addition, the Toronto staff will meet this week to prepare for the next NHL draft session, in June in Las Vegas.
“As I said at the end of the year, we are going to review everything, from top to bottom,” he explained. We have very good players, and we don’t want to distort ourselves. »
“Craig and I will now have to sit down and analyze all the other aspects, including how to build the team and everything else, so our summer will be hectic,” he concluded.