The Toronto Maple Leafs have hired Craig Berube as their new head coach. The Leafs fired head coach Sheldon Keefe on May 9 after Toronto bowed out of the postseason with another first-round Stanley Cup playoff loss, for the third time in four full seasons under Keefe.
Toronto's general manager Brad Treliving said then the Leafs were targeting a fresh voice who could help the team reach its full potential. «In this business over a period of time, the message stops hitting home,» said Treliving of moving on from Keefe. «It's not just changing the personnel but understanding why a message may not be getting through.
So, our focus right now is trying to find that individual [as our next coach].» This will be Berube's third NHL head coaching job.
He was previously behind the bench in Philadelphia from 2013-15, guiding the Flyers to a playoff berth in 2014 before being let go following a poor sixth place finish in the Metropolitan Division the following season.