Cup-Champion Craig Berube reveals he would love to replace Sheldon Keefe

PUBLICATION

Dawson Mckenzie
January 5, 2024 (11:01)

SHARE THIS STORY

This Stanley Cup Champion-winning head coach has just revealed that he would love the job of coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in an interesting position with Head Coach Sheldon Keefe. He has done a lot to help the Leafs improve during his tenure as head coach, from record regular season point totals to leading the team to the second round for the first time in decades. However, the bar is high, as Leaf fans are desperate for a Stanley Cup. Second-round exits will no longer cut it in Leaf land.

It's safe to say that if the Leafs don't improve on last season's post-season performance, Keefe's position will be seriously at risk. Interestingly, there are already some coaches who would be keen to take over as head coach of the Leafs, and one of those is former Stanley Cup-winner Craig Berube.

Berube led the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in his first season with the club. He recently expressed his interest in coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs on a podcast.

It would be an honour to obviously coach there for the Toronto Maple Leafs if that ever happened. Like I said, it's the best hockey market in the world and a great organization that does everything they can to try to win."

Berube has the makings of a great coach and would be a refreshing face for the style of team that Brad Treliving is putting together. While Keefe is not out of a job by any means, it's comforting for leaf fans to know that there is a viable option potentially in the shadows.

Berube also mentioned in the podcast how he believes that the Leafs are in a good position to make a push this year, though his comments are limited to what he sees as an outsider.

"They got through the first round last year and ended up getting beat but they made good strides in getting past that first round. Again, it's hard for me to comment on the Toronto Maple Leafs, I'm not in that locker room, I'm only watching from afar but a lot of good players there, a lot of good talent, a lot of good upside. When you get into the playoffs, it's about getting on a good roll and it's a grind that you got to move on from losses and move on from wins, and you got to focus for the next game. It's a battle, it's a 2-month grind and more, it's hard but the Leafs have some great players for sure, they have a really good team, it's really hard for me to comment too much on it with me not there."

We will have to see how this season plays out for the Leafs, though the pressure is increasingly mounting.

As seen on Maple Leafs Daily Stanley Cup winning head coach expresses an interest in coaching the Leafs