Can Coach Craig Berube's Role Within Maple Leafs Change? And If So, How?
When Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley answered questions following the departure of Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, he acknowledged that head coach Craig Berube should have a more prominent role within the club.
More than just the X's and O's, and potentially more than just the daily roster decisions.
Berube's experience is constant when it comes to hockey. The 59-year-old spent sixteen years as an NHL player, racking up 3,149 penalty minutes through 1054 games before spending nine years as a head coach in the league. The most memorable year of his coaching career was his Stanley Cup-winning season with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
That said, Berube is arguably one of hockey's top minds. And Pelley, who's spent nearly nine years working with the DP World Tour (better known as the PGA European Tour), has experience working overseas, viewing how European football clubs run their teams.
"I'm a firm believer that the coach has to be involved more than just on the day of the game and in the dressing room," Pelley said on Friday. "We have a wonderful asset in Craig, and we have a wonderful asset in Brad (Treliving)."
'The Coach Has To Be Involved More': Why MLSE CEO Keith Pelley Wants Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube To Have More Say In Key Decisions Hours after Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan's dismissal, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley had dinner with head coach Craig Berube.
But what does it mean for Berube to be more involved than he already is?
An NHL coach's role usually doesn't go beyond the day-to-day roster formation. Some coaches throughout the league might have more of a say, but for the most part, if they want a specific player to round out their roster, say at the trade deadline, it's up to the general manager to go out and get that player.
The coach manages the team's play, and the GM focuses on additions to improve the team.
In European football, a club might have a manager who deals with the day-to-day team activities and the club's long-term outlook. They wield more power, and usually, if they want a player who can help their team, the club will go out and acquire them.
Maple Leafs' Craig Berube Would '100 Percent' Like To Retain Pending Unrestricted Free Agents Mitch Marner, John Tavares Just two days after a season-ending 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the second-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs held their end-of-season media availability.
For example, in the Maple Leafs' case, Berube could signal to Treliving that, to improve the team, they need Blues forward Brayden Schenn. Berube could cite Toronto's need for center depth (again, this is just an example), plus their history of winning a Stanley Cup together.
If all parties, including Treliving and other staff, agree, Toronto would likely attempt to add that player. All of this likely occurs already, but with Shanahan not in the mix anymore, it opens the door to Berube and Treliving bouncing more ideas off each other without anyone higher saying no.
Pelley's involvement will be nothing more than a sounding board for those within the organization.
MLSE CEO Keith Pelley Explains Decision Not To Hire New Maple Leafs President After Brendan Shanahan's Dismissal Fans stood alongside Legends Row before Scotiabank Arena, taking photos with the Toronto Maple Leafs' icons. At the same time, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president and CEO
Keith Pelley sat less than 15 feet away, inside the building, discussing another early playoff exit for his hockey club.
"The people that are going to make the key hockey decisions, the people that are going to make the key basketball decisions, are basketball-oriented people and are hockey-oriented people," the MLSE CEO said.
"That's the way I look at it as a holistic leader that can provide support and guidance from a leadership perspective, from a culture side. But I'm not going to be deciding who we draft and what free agents we're going to sign. That will be the decision by the hockey operations group."
With Shanahan gone, Berube may enter free agency with more say in organization-shifting decisions. During his end-of-season media availability, Berube said he'd "100 percent" like to see the Maple Leafs re-sign John Tavares and Mitch Marner.
'We'll See What Happens': Pelley Weighs In On Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner's Pending Free Agency
Brendan Shanahan was the first domino to fall in an offseason expected to be full of change.
Tavares already looks like a done deal to return, but could Toronto's head coach be behind a stronger push to re-sign Marner once he hits the open market? If you asked the Maple Leafs, I'm sure they'd like to bring the 28-year-old back, even with how Toronto went out of the playoffs.
Berube said it, and I'd believe it if others agreed too.
The big question is how Berube's job will differ from his first season as Maple Leafs head coach to the next season. Treliving will hopefully answer that question, and more, when he speaks on Thursday morning for the first time since Toronto's season ended.
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Knicks rumors: Teammates frustrated by Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive execution
The post Knicks rumors: Teammates frustrated by Karl-Anthony Towns' defensive execution appeared first on ClutchPoints. After watching their favorite team drop a brutal Game 6 effort against the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks fans were not particularly happy with Karl-Anthony Towns. Advertisement Once expected to be the missing piece of an NBA Finals-winning roster, KAT was instead a big reason why the team came up short, so much so that multiple personalities were already mocking him in trades for the offseason. And to make matters worse for the KAT camp, James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic dropped a massive article on what went wrong with the Knicks' playoff run that painted the stretch big in a not-so-pleasant light. 'Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies,' Edwards III and Katz wrote. 'Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns' defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn't grasp the importance of the matter.' While Towns wasn't exactly known for his ability to play solid defense during his run with the Timberwolves, he was targeted often during the Knicks' playoff run, to the point where games often came down to how many shots he made versus how many he gave up. While some hurt feelings could ease with time, one has to wonder if the Knicks and KAT can continue together without some serious changes. © Soobum Im-Imagn Images PJ Tucker weighs in on the Knicks' dysfunction Elsewhere in The Athletic's breakdown, PJ Tucker commented on the Knicks' issues, noting that communication between teammates is key to executing a successful offense and defense. Advertisement 'They all talk to me. But they didn't talk to each other in real-time, in those situations,' Tucker told The Athletic. 'The situations to get stops, to have help, you know what I'm saying? That, to me, we have talent, but that's 80 percent of everything else – being able to communicate, be able to get stops, to be on the same page on offense, and be able to read each other. We needed to do those things instead of putting our hands up and looking at each other. It's changed. Do I think it needs to get better? One hundred percent. But it's come a long way since I've got here, for sure.' While these comments might not have read as an indictment on KAT's play at the time, there's a reason why Edwards III and Katz included it during their story immediately after commenting on his lack of defensive effort. If the Knicks are going to blast past the Eastern Conference Finals and return to the NBA Finals for the first time this century, it will need to be addressed one way or another.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Maple Leafs GM Treliving says change is coming after 2nd-round playoff loss
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving says to expect changes in the offseason after another early exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And not just to the roster — but 'between the ears,' too. Advertisement Using the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers as an example, Treliving said at a season-ending news conference Thursday that there must be changes in the 'DNA' of a team that continues to struggle in big playoff moments despite regular-season success. Toronto finished the regular season in first place in the Atlantic Division and defeated the Ottawa Senators in the first round for just its second playoff series win in the past 20 seasons. The Leafs looked poised for a breakthrough when they won the first two games of a second-round series against the Panthers and went up 3-1 in Game 3, before handing the momentum back to their opponent and ultimately losing in seven games. Treliving credited Florida, which just eliminated Carolina in five games in the Eastern Conference final, with finding a way to perform in the key moments in the postseason. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and The Associated Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
7th annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony held in Rockville
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. () – Dozens of people were at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Rockville Tuesday morning for the 7th annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony. It's an event that is meant to celebrate and acknowledge members of the LGBTQ+ community who call Montgomery County home. 'As we raise the flag, we do more than celebrate Pride, we issue a declaration that we are here, we are whole and we will not be erased,' Phillip Alexander Downie, who grew up in Montgomery County and now serves as the executive director for the MoCo Pride Center, said. Countdown to WorldPride: Music festival lineup announced People in Rockville are celebrating the positive impact that the LGBTQ+ community has had on the county. 'Pride is a time to affirm our commitment to inclusion and equity and diversity and acceptance,' Montgomery County councilmember Evan Glass said. Glass, who is openly gay, was among the dozens who attended the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Plaza. 'The flag is a symbol of love of resilience and of authenticity,' he said, Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) was there to show his support for the community. 'We can all take pride in the fact that we live in a county that is committed to the success and the flourishing and the belonging of every person who lives here and every young person who is growing up here,' Raskin said. Grammy Award-winning artist Doechii to close out WorldPride DC With more work to be done, many recognize the need to reaffirm that commitment. 'We're proud to raise this flag,' Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said. 'We're proud to be in this work with you, and we're not going anywhere.' Montgomery County's first LGBTQ+ Community Center will open in Bethesda later this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
