The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Wednesday morning that they have fired head coach Craig Berube after two seasons. General Manager John Chayka, in a press release, indicated that under his and Mats Sundin’s new direction, the Leafs would chart a new course.
“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.”
Chayka will hold a media availability on Wednesday afternoon, but indicated that the new head coach will determine the makeup of the coaching staff.
Berube went 84-62-18 in two seasons with Toronto, winning the Atlantic Division and taking them to Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs last season, but this season was an unmitigated disaster, as the club declined 30 points in the standings (the greatest one-season decline in the history of the league) and finished 28th overall.
There was some fear that MLSE boss Keith Pelley may have made keeping Berube around as a prerequisite for getting the Leafs GM job, especially with him having two years remaining on his contract at $4.5 million per season, but the veteran bench bosses’ implementation of the roster, and history of not developing youngsters had to be a consideration in the decision.
Will update
