TORONTO (AP) 鈥� The Toronto Maple Leafs fired coach Craig Berube on Wednesday, John Chayka’s first major move following the team finishing last and missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
The move ended Berube鈥檚 two-year run with the Maple Leafs. They had 108 points in 2024-25 and reached the second round of the playoffs before struggling this past season.
Chayka said the decision was made shortly after he met with Berube.
鈥淭his was the right decision on the path ahead,鈥� Chayka said at a news conference. 鈥淚t was a difficult decision. It was not a verdict on Craig鈥檚 coaching. I think it stands for itself.鈥�
Chayka suggested that Berube hoped to return next season.
鈥淚 think Craig, his heart鈥檚 in it,鈥� Chayka said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of guy he is. I think he felt like he had a lot of unfinished business, and I think he鈥檚 got a lot of great connections with the players here 鈥� and it was only a discussion about the path ahead.鈥�
The path ahead is clouded by the uncertain future of captain and top player Auston Matthews, who has two years left on his contract and a full no-movement clause to control his next destination, if he so chooses.
Asked what impact Matthews鈥� status had on the decision to fire Berube, Chayka said: 鈥淣one. Zero.鈥�
Chayka said he didn鈥檛 鈥渕ake this decision in a vacuum鈥� and that the coaching change was part of a broader restructuring with senior executive director of hockey operations Mats Sundin.
鈥淢ats and I have spent the last 10 days or so meeting with everyone from the chefs to talking with some of the players and everything in between,鈥� Chayka said. 鈥淛ust feel like there鈥檚 some things we need to change and do better.鈥�
earlier this month. He succeeded in March, and said he will conduct a 鈥渨ide-ranging鈥� search for Berube鈥檚 replacement.
鈥淲e鈥檒l take our time and try to get it right,鈥� Chayka said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the most critical decision as a general manager.鈥�
last week. The Maple Leafs are expected to pick either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg with the first overall pick on June 26 at the NHL draft in Buffalo.
Berube, 60, went 84-62-18 with Toronto, but the Maple Leafs were just 32-36-14 this season. The drop in points 鈥� from 108 to 78 鈥� was the team鈥檚 largest year-over-year points decline.
The Maple Leafs had embraced Berube鈥檚 straightforward, no-nonsense, north-south approach in 2024-25 after Keefe was unable to get the same talented group over its playoff hump but didn鈥檛 come close to duplicating that success a second time.
Defensive deficiencies also caused glaring problems for a club that finished with the second-worst goals-against mark and was outshot a league-worst 66 times.
鈥淭hey played with more passion than we did,鈥� Berube told reporters in December after a particularly ugly 4-0 road loss to the Washington Capitals. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it boils down to. It looked to me like they had way more urgency in their game, more passion in their game. That鈥檚 the difference.鈥�
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