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Maple Leafs' William Nylander Addresses Relationship with Craig Berube

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 9:59 AM ET

William Nylander is putting up the best numbers of his career, but his season with the Toronto Maple Leafs has also featured heated exchanges and criticism from head coach Craig Berube.

While Berube has not held back when pointing out Nylander’s mistakes, the Maple Leafs winger has made it clear there is no friction behind the scenes.

Nylander discussed his relationship with Berube in an interview with The Athletic's Jonas Siegel published on Tuesday.

“Oh, it’s great,” Nylander said when asked about his relationship with Berube.

1-on-1: William Nylander on his relationship with Craig Berube, missing Mitch Marner, and why he’s so comfortable in the Toronto spotlight: https://t.co/hF6Je9kOeA
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) December 2, 2025

Nylander admitted Berube can be tough, but he doesn’t take it personally.

“He’s very easy to talk to,” Nylander said. “Sometimes you butt heads, and you get into it now and then. But that’s different. That’s the hockey part.”

Moreover, Nylander thinks that Berube's style of coaching and building off-ice relationships has helped him focus on simplifying his game.

“I think it’s very beneficial to do that,” Nylander said.

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (88) skates during the warmup.Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

According to Siegel, Berube has pushed Nylander harder than any other Leaf since taking over by speaking with him before practice and using him as a conduit for team-wide messages.

Through 25 games, Nylander leads the team in scoring with 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) and is on pace for 119 points. If he gets there, Nylander would finish the season with the second-highest single-season total in Maple Leafs history.

Toronto enters Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers with an 11-11-3 record. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

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