Maple Leafs fire coach Craig Berube

On Wednesday, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka announced that the team has fired head coach Craig Berube.

In a statement, Chayka noted Berube’s character and work as a coach are commendable, but he felt that a change behind the bench was necessary as the Maple Leafs head into the future.

“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 and wish Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward.”

Berube came to the organization in the summer of 2024, just a few months after he was fired by the St. Louis Blues. He had a successful first season in Toronto, guiding the team to a 52-26-4 record, with the team finishing atop the Atlantic Division and reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the team came up short of its goals, as they were eliminated by the eventual champion Florida Panthers in seven games.

Expectations remained high heading into the 2025-26 season, but the Leafs fell flat. Injuries, bad luck and sometimes just plain lack of effort saw the team spiral down to the bottom of the standings. Toronto finished last in the Atlantic, missing the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign, the year before it drafted now-captain Auston Matthews.

Across two seasons under Berube, the Leafs went 84-62-18.

Whoever the Leafs elect to hire to take over the head coaching duties will have an opportunity to right the ship quickly, especially since the roster will be bolstered by whoever they take in the 2026 NHL Draft, as Toronto won the draft lottery earlier this month.