Maple Leafs Make Coaching Decision After 50-Loss Season

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs Make Coaching Decision After 50-Loss Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Smith | Last updated May 13, 2026 10:42 AM ET

Over the last decade, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been a fantastic regular season team, but whether it be Mike Babcock, Sheldon Keefe or Craig Berube behind the bench, they've struggled to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Already this off-season, the team have parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving as a result of the team failures, especially in 2025-26, with John Chayka coming in to make his mark on the organization. That had many questioning the future of Craig Berube, and early on Wednesday, the team made it official, announcing that they have parted ways with the former Stanley Cup winning head coach after just two seasons behind Toronto's bench.

General Manager John Chayka announced today that the club has parted ways with head coach Craig Berube pic.twitter.com/PJo8e9ATLW
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 13, 2026

While this comes as a shock to some, following a record of 32-36-14 and an eighth place finish in the Atlantic Division, the heat was clearly on Berube, especially after promising so much during his arrival in May of 2024. The first season under Berube saw Toronto make it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, only to lose to the Florida Panthers in seven games, and after a major step back, this is the move that the front office deems most appropriate for Toronto's path forward.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube directs a player onto the ice during the third period against the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Arena.John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

In the summer of 2024, the arrival of Berube promised so much, with fans expecting him to finally get the best out of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and this core group, but instead, he departs the team following a failed season with a direction that is still yet to be decided.

While he may have been a good coach to keep around, the new general manager needs to make his mark, and with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, this is a team that's going to look very different when they take the ice in 2026-27.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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