Maple Leafs fire HC Craig Berube in move that shouldn't come as huge shock

Craig Berube. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs fire HC Craig Berube in move that shouldn't come as huge shock

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 13, 2026 11:15 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs are telling head coach Craig Berube sayonara.

The Maple Leafs announced Wednesday that they're firing Berube after two seasons with the team. Two years and $4.5M remain on the coach's deal, meaning that will be on the team's books unless he's hired elsewhere, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

New Maple Leafs GM John Chayka explains firing of Craig Berube

"Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person," Chayka said in a statement, per the team website. "The decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization and wish him nothing but the best going forward."

Chayka added that the next coach will get to hire the rest of his staff.

Chayka was reportedly "comfortable" with keeping Berube as Maple Leafs HC next season, but this move isn't unexpected. The Eastern Conference squad is clearly entering a rebuild after replacing Brad Treliving with Chayka earlier this offseason. A coaching change usually follows a regime change, especially when the organization is coming off a disappointing season like Toronto's.

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

Maple Leafs regressed in Craig Berube's final season

The Maple Leafs went 32-36-14 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Berube — who went 84-62-18 in the regular season during his tenure in Toronto — did slightly better during the 2024-25 season but ultimately failed to end the team's 59-year Stanley Cup drought. It lost to the eventual champion Florida Panthers in seven games in the second round of the playoffs.

Another factor that may have played into the decision was the decline of star center Auston Matthews. The seven-time All-Star averaged 46 goals per season in his first eight years without Berube. Over the past two seasons, that number dipped to 30 goals per season.

Matthews — whose future remains in limbo — will be a key part of Toronto's rebuild if he remains with the organization. He and Penn State Nittany Lions left winger Gavin McKenna, whom the Maple Leafs are expected to take No. 1 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, could form a duo that propels the Maple Leafs back into Stanley Cup contention.

Launching the McKenna-Matthews era without Berube may be the best choice for the Maple Leafs. The franchise wasn't headed in the right direction under the one-time Stanley Cup champion and might have continued to spiral under his leadership.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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