Dave Litman
New Toronto Maple Leafs hockey executives John Chayka & Mats Sundin spent several hours chatting with head coach Craig Berube this past weekend. And coming out of it, all signs pointed to Berube surviving as Leafs coach, at least for a bit longer. But Wednesday morning, the team dropped the hammer, firing the head coach after a two-year run.
“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” said GM Chayka. “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, and wish Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward.”
Berube still has two years remaining on his contract with the Leafs. The team owes him the $9 million outstanding ($4.5M per year), unless he gets hired by another team.
In his two seasons with the Buds, he posted an 84-62-18 record, with one playoff series victory. But this year’s chaotic season, and a last-place finish, sealed his fate.
Head coaching search begins for Maple Leafs
The rest of Berube’s staff’s future will be determined by whoever the new coach is. That search will now begin in earnest.
The big question is what does the “organizational shift” that Chayka refered to actually mean? Will they look for a first-year head coach rather than a recycled one?
The No. 1 candidate out there is undoubtedly former Vegas Golden Knights’ bench boss Bruce Cassidy. The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to have been turned down by Vegas in an attempt to talk to Cassidy about a potential (he’s still under contract to the Golden Knights, even though they fired him with a handful of games left in the season).
The NHL coaching carousel continues to turn.
