Toronto Maple Leafs coach

The Toronto Maple Leafs team is one of the most iconic franchises in professional hockey, based in Toronto. Competing in the NHL’s Atlantic Division, the team was established in 1917 as the Toronto Arenas. Since then, the team went through many transitions, becoming the St. Patricks before adopting their current name in 1927. The Leafs have won 13 Stanley Cup championships, second only to the Montreal Canadiens. However, they have also taken a historic 57-year championship drought. Playing home games at the state-of-the-art Scotiabank Arena, the Maple Leafs are led by head coach Craig Berube as of 2025, and Auston Matthews is serving as captain.

Who is the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Craig Berube serves as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as of 2025. Also known as "Chief," he is a recognized figure in the hockey world, both as a player and coach. Born on December 17, 1965, in Calahoo, Alberta, Berube has a 17-season playing career for teams including the Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, and Washington Capitals. Transitioning to coaching, Berube found significant success, most notably leading the St. Louis Blues to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019 as an interim head coach. In 2024, Berube took responsibility as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Craig Berube's playing career

Craig Berube began his hockey career in junior leagues, playing for teams like the New Westminster Bruins and Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, where he recorded notable offensive stats, including a 69-point season in 1984–85. He entered the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1986. Berube played over 1,000 NHL games with several teams, including the Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders, retiring in 2004 after contributing as a valuable role player.

Craig Berube's coaching career

Craig Berube started his coaching career in 2006 as the head coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers' AHL affiliate. However, in October 2006, he was promoted to the NHL as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers after a leadership change in the organization. Following this, Berube returned to the Phantoms as head coach for the 2007–08 season. In October 2013, Berube became head coach of the Flyers. He managed to guide them to the playoffs that season but was relieved of his duties in April 2015.

In 2016, Berube coached the Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, before being promoted to the Blues' staff in 2017. He became the interim head coach in November 2018 and led the Blues to their first historic Stanley Cup in 2019. Officially named head coach that same year, Berube secured a contract extension in 2022 but was let go in December 2023. In May 2024, Berube became head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Craig Berube achievements

• 2004-05 AHL Calder Cup Champion
• 2018-19 NHL Stanley Cup Champion

Craig Berube family

Craig Berube is a native of Calahoo, Alberta. He grew up in a modest two-storey home with his parents, Roger and Ramona. Behind the Berube home, five trailers housed aunts, uncles, and 17 cousins, all of whom shared a daily bond. His grandmother lived closest, as per The Athletics.

Berube’s uncle Emile coached his fastball team with a strict approach.

“He’d be hard on you,” Berube said in an interview with The Athletics. “We practiced hard—sliding, everything. We were taught well.”

Berube’s father and uncles encouraged him to try hockey, even though he wasn’t a natural skater. His mother, Ramona Berube, recalled:

“He didn’t want to go at first, but we insisted."

Craig Berube has three children, Jake, Nashota, and Charlotte, from his first marriage to Rebecca Bricker. He later married Dominique Pino, an Italian, as per mabumbe.com.