Craig Berube
Craig Berube | |||
---|---|---|---|
Berube in 2011 | |||
Born |
Calahoo,Alberta, Canada | December 17, 1965||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
Position | Left wing | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Philadelphia Flyers Toronto Maple Leafs Calgary Flames Washington Capitals New York Islanders | ||
CurrentNHLcoach | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
Coached for |
Philadelphia Flyers St. Louis Blues | ||
NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
Playing career | 1986–2004 | ||
Coaching career | 2004–present |
Craig Berube(/bəˈruːbiː/;born December 17, 1965) is a Canadian professionalice hockeycoach and former player who is thehead coachfor theToronto Maple Leafsof theNational Hockey League(NHL). Nicknamed"Chief",Berube played 17 seasons in the NHL for thePhiladelphia Flyers,Maple Leafs,Calgary Flames,Washington CapitalsandNew York Islanders.After retirement, Berube served as head coach of the Flyers for two seasons, and theSt. Louis Bluesfor parts of six seasons, winning theStanley Cupin2019as then-interim head coach. Berube additionally served as a national team scout forCanadaat the2016 World Cup of Hockey,under Blues general managerDoug Armstrong.
Playing career
[edit]Berube played 1,054 NHL regular season games between 1986 and 2003. He was known as anenforcerin the NHL and amassed 3,149 penalty minutes in his career, good for seventh on theall-time list.With 159 points he is the least productive player in the league with at least 1000 games played.
Berube was signed as an undrafted free agent by thePhiladelphia Flyerson March 19, 1986. He made his NHL debut on March 22, 1987, recording 16 penalty minutes which included two fighting majors, in a 3–1 Flyers win over thePittsburgh Penguins.[1]He remained with the Flyers through the end of the regular season and also played in five playoff games during the Flyers' run to the1987 Stanley Cup Finals.Berube cemented his place in the Flyers' line-up during the 1988–89 season and finished in the top ten in penalty minutes during the next two seasons.
Following the 1990–91 season, Berube was traded three times in a span of a little over seven months, twice in the off-season. The Flyers traded him to theEdmonton Oilersalong withCraig FisherandScott MellanbyforDave Brown,Corey Foster,andJari Kurrion May 30. Four months later he was traded to theToronto Maple Leafsalong withGlenn AndersonandGrant FuhrforVincent Damphousse,Peter Ing,Luke Richardson,andScott Thorntonon September 19. Berube played the first half of the 1991–92 season with Toronto before he was traded again on January 2, 1992 to theCalgary Flamesalong withAlexander Godynyuk,Gary Leeman,Michel Petit,andJeff ReeseforDoug Gilmour,Jamie Macoun,Kent Manderville,Ric Nattress,andRick Wamsley.
Berube remained with the Flames through the end of the 1992–93 season. He was traded on June 26, 1993, to theWashington Capitalsfor a fifth-round draft choice in the1993 NHL Entry Draft.He spent the next six seasons with the Capitals, notably playing in every playoff game during Washington's run to the1998 Stanley Cup Finals.
During a November 1997 game against theFlorida Panthers,Berube called Panthers' forwardPeter Worrell,who is black, "a monkey."[2]Berube claimed the remark was not racially motivated and he apologized to Worrell a day after the game.[2]The NHL suspended Berube for one game.[2]
Berube returned to the Flyers in 1999 during the trade deadline. He saw his last Stanley Cup playoff action on the ice in 2000. In game four of the Eastern Conference Finals, he scored the game-winning goal to put the Flyers up 3–1 in the series against theNew Jersey Devils,but the Flyers lost the next three games and the series.
Berube split the next three seasons between the Capitals,New York Islanders,and the Flames. He ended his playing career as aplayer-assistant coachwith thePhiladelphia Phantoms,the FlyersAmerican Hockey Leagueaffiliate, during the 2003–04 season.[3]
Coaching career
[edit]Philadelphia Flyers
[edit]Berube was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers' affiliate in the American Hockey League, before the 2006–07 AHL season.[3]However, on October 23, 2006, Berube was promoted to the Flyers' NHL coaching staff after a major reorganization in the franchise. On October 22, 2006,Bob Clarkeresigned from his position as general manager of the Flyers, and head coachKen Hitchcockwas released from his duties.John Stevens,formerly assistant coach, was named the Flyers' new head coach, and Berube was designated to replace him. For the 2007–08 season, Berube returned to the Phantoms as head coach. On October 7, 2013, Berube was named head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers following an 0–3–0 start.[4]The team improved their play following the change to Berube and clinched a spot in the 2014 NHL playoffs. On April 17, 2015, Berube was relieved of his coaching duties by Flyers general managerRon Hextall.[5]
St. Louis Blues
[edit]On June 29, 2016, Berube was named the head coach of theChicago Wolvesin theAmerican Hockey League,the affiliate of theSt. Louis Blues.[6]
On June 15, 2017, Berube was named an assistant head coach for the Blues.[7]On November 19, 2018, the Blues fired head coachMike Yeoand named Berube interim coach for the rest of the season.[8][9][10]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Craig_Berube_2019.jpg/220px-Craig_Berube_2019.jpg)
The Blues struggled at first under Berube's watch; at the start of the 2019 calendar year, they were 15–18–4 and last in the league standings. However, they improved through the remainder of the season, going 30–10–5, including a franchise-record 11-game winning streak. As the third seed in the Central Division, they advanced to theStanley Cup Finalsfor the fourth time in franchise history, and the first time since1970.The Blues later won the series 4–3 over theBoston Bruins,capping off Game 7 with a 4–1 win, earning the Blues their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history and Berube his first Stanley Cup championship as a player or coach.
Berube became the second interim head coach in NHL history to guide his team to a Stanley Cup title. Berube shares this distinction withLarry Robinson,who accomplished the feat19 years earlierwith theNew Jersey Devils.
On April 26, 2019, Berube,Jon Cooper,andBarry Trotzwere announced as the finalists for theJack Adams Award.[11]On June 24, the Blues dropped the "interim" tag from Berube's title and officially named him as the 26th head coach in franchise history, with a three-year contract.[12]
On February 9, 2022, the Blues signed Berube to a three-year contract extension, through the 2024–25 season.[13]
On December 12, 2023, following a four-game losing streak capped by a 6–4 loss to theDetroit Red Wings,Berube was fired by the Blues.[14]
Toronto Maple Leafs
[edit]Following the2023–24 season,Berube was hired as head coach of theToronto Maple Leafson May 17, 2024, replacingSheldon Keefe.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Berube is partially ofFirst Nationsdescent. During his time coaching the Flyers, he andBuffalo Sabreshead coachTed Nolanwere the only head coaches in the NHL with First Nations ancestry. On November 21, 2013, Berube (partCree) and Nolan (Ojibwe) became the first head coaches of First Nations descent in NHL history to coach for opposing teams in the same game.[16]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1982–83 | Williams Lake Mustangs | PCJHL | 33 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Kamloops Jr. Oilers | WHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983–84 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 70 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 104 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||
1984–85 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 70 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 191 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
1985–86 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 32 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1985–86 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 34 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 95 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 102 | ||
1986–87 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 63 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 325 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 27 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1987–88 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 31 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1988–89 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 53 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 199 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | ||
1988–89 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1989–90 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 74 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 291 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1990–91 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 74 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 293 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 40 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1991–92 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 36 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 155 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1992–93 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 77 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 209 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | ||
1993–94 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 84 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 305 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | ||
1994–95 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 43 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 173 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | ||
1995–96 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 50 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 151 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | ||
1996–97 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 218 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1997–98 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 74 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 189 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 | ||
1998–99 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 66 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 166 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
1999–00 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 162 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | ||
2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2000–01 | New York Islanders | NHL | 38 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2001–02 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 66 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 164 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2002–03 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 55 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2003–04 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 33 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 134 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 1,054 | 61 | 98 | 159 | 3,149 | 89 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 211 |
Head coaching record
[edit]Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win% | Result | |||
PHI | 2013–14 | 79 | 42 | 27 | 10 | (94) | 3rd inMetropolitan | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in first round (NYR) | |
PHI | 2014–15 | 82 | 33 | 31 | 18 | 84 | 6th in Metropolitan | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
PHI total | 161 | 75 | 58 | 28 | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1 playoff appearance | ||||
STL | 2018–19 | 63 | 38 | 19 | 6 | (82) | 3rd inCentral | 16 | 10 | .615 | WonStanley Cup(BOS) | |
STL | 2019–20 | 71[a] | 42 | 19 | 10 | 94 | 1st in Central | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in first round (VAN) | |
STL | 2020–21 | 56 | 27 | 20 | 9 | 63 | 4th inWest | 0 | 4 | .000 | Lost in first round (COL) | |
STL | 2021–22 | 82 | 49 | 22 | 11 | 109 | 3rd in Central | 6 | 6 | .500 | Lost in second round (COL) | |
STL | 2022–23 | 82 | 37 | 38 | 7 | 81 | 6th in Central | — | — | — | Missed playoffs | |
STL | 2023–24 | 28 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 27 | (fired) | — | — | — | — | |
STL total | 382 | 206 | 132 | 44 | 24 | 24 | .500 | 4 playoff appearances 1 Stanley Cup title | ||||
Total | 543 | 281 | 190 | 72 | 27 | 28 | .491 | 5 playoff appearances 1 Stanley Cup title |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^Season shortened due to theCOVID-19 pandemicduring the 2019–20 season. Playoffs were played in August 2020 with a different format.
References
[edit]- ^"Flyers History - Philadelphia Flyer Game Summary".P. Anson.RetrievedOctober 8,2013.
- ^abcMichael Russo(November 26, 1997)."NHL Suspends Berube For Slur".Sun-Sentinel.RetrievedDecember 21,2023.
- ^ab"Craig Berube named head coach of Phantoms".OurSports Central. June 14, 2006.RetrievedDecember 14,2021.
- ^"CRAIG BERUBE NAMED FLYERS HEAD COACH".Philadelphia Flyers.October 7, 2013.RetrievedDecember 8,2014.
- ^"Craig Berube relieved of duties as Flyers head coach".Philadelphia Flyers.April 17, 2015.RetrievedApril 17,2015.
- ^"Craig Berube Hired as Chicago Wolves Head Coach".OurSports Central. June 29, 2016.
- ^Rutherford, Jeremy P."Berube named Blues' associate coach; new goalie coach 'perfect match' for Allen".stltoday.RetrievedJune 17,2017.
- ^"Yeo relieved of duties, Berube named interim head coach".NHL.November 19, 2018.RetrievedNovember 21,2018.
- ^"Yeo replaced by Berube as St. Louis Blues head coach".stltoday.St.Louis Post Dispatch. November 19, 2018.RetrievedNovember 19,2018.
- ^"Yeo relieved of duties, Berube named interim head coach".NHL.November 19, 2018.RetrievedApril 8,2019.
- ^"Berube named finalist for Jack Adams Award".NHL.April 26, 2019.RetrievedApril 27,2019.
- ^"Blues sign Berube to 3-year contract".NHL.June 24, 2019.RetrievedJune 28,2019.
- ^Pinkert, Chris (February 9, 2022)."Berube signs 3-year contract extension".NHL.RetrievedDecember 13,2023.
- ^"Blues relieve Berube of coaching duties".St. Louis Blues.National Hockey League.December 12, 2023.RetrievedDecember 12,2023.
- ^"Berube hired as Maple Leafs coach, replaces Keefe".NHL.May 17, 2024.RetrievedMay 17,2024.
- ^Gretz, Adam."Berube vs. Nolan is an NHL first".SBNation.RetrievedMarch 23,2017.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Biographical information and career statistics fromNHL,orEliteprospects,orEurohockey,orHockey-Reference,orThe Internet Hockey Database
- 1965 births
- Living people
- Calgary Flames players
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Canadian ice hockey coaches
- Canadian ice hockey left wingers
- Cree people
- First Nations sportspeople
- Hershey Bears players
- Ice hockey people from Alberta
- Ice hockey player-coaches
- Kamloops Blazers players
- Kamloops Junior Oilers players
- Medicine Hat Tigers players
- National Hockey League assistant coaches
- New Westminster Bruins players
- New York Islanders players
- People from Sturgeon County
- Philadelphia Flyers coaches
- Philadelphia Flyers players
- Philadelphia Phantoms players
- St. Louis Blues coaches
- Stanley Cup champions
- Stanley Cup championship-winning head coaches
- Toronto Maple Leafs coaches
- Toronto Maple Leafs players
- Undrafted National Hockey League players
- Washington Capitals players