Following four consecutive first-round playoff exits under former head coach Sheldon Keefe, it was evident that the Toronto Maple Leafs gave a Stanley Cup pedigree top priority when hiring a new head coach.

The goal was achieved.

According to a team statement, Craig Berube has been chosen the next head coach of the Maple Leafs.

Following Keefe’s dismissal, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving stated, per NHL.com, “We determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal.”

 

After Toronto was ousted from the playoffs, Berube was the presumed front-runner for the position, and it was assumed that he would lose.

The work Berube completed after taking over as the Blues’ temporary head coach for the 2018–19 season is what made him famous. St. Louis was the NHL’s bottom team at the time. They finished third in the Central with a 38-19-6 record under Berube’s direction.

After that, the Blues easily defeated the Dallas Stars in seven games, the San Jose Sharks in six games during the Eastern Conference Final, the Boston Bruins in seven games during the Stanley Cup Final, and the Winnipeg Jets in six games.

San Jose was the second seed in the Pacific Division, Boston was the second seed in the Atlantic Division, Winnipeg was the second seed in the Central Division, and Dallas was the best wild-card club.

Berube, a sought-after candidate for head coaching positions, apparently discussed available head coach positions with the Jets, New Jersey Devils, and Leafs in addition to them.

The St. Louis Blues fired Berube in mid-December, possibly a bit prematurely after the team started 13-14-1. It was the first time the Blues had missed the playoffs under Berube’s leadership, following a sixth-place finish in the Central Division the season before.

Berube had a 206-132-44 record in more than five years in St. Louis, including with four postseason appearances and one Stanley Cup victory. With 281 victories and five postseason trips under his belt, the 58-year-old has coached for more than seven seasons.

The Maple Leafs also spoke with a few other noteworthy possibilities, according to Sportsnet’s Elleiotte Friedman. These included Todd McLellan, who was sacked by the Los Angeles Kings on February 2, and Gerard Gallant, who most recently coached the New York Ranges from 2021 to 2023.