The Toronto Maple Leafs are moving on from head coach Craig Berube after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Berube exits just nine days after the Maple Leafs restructured their front office by hiring general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin. Toronto finished the 2025-26 season 28th in the NHL with a 32-36-14 record, missing the postseason by 20 standings points.
“Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person,” Chayka said in a statement. “This 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 Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward.”
The Maple Leafs move in another direction despite Berube still having two seasons left on his contract. After a second-round playoff dismissal by the Florida Panthers in 2025 under Berube, the Maple Leafs started last summer by losing star winger Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights and appear set to possibly see a repeat of sorts with star center Auston Matthews this summer.
Matthews is reportedly expected to need further convincing from the Maple Leafs to stay next season, and revamping the coaching staff may be the next step in that process. Under Berube this past year, the 28-year-old centerman posted just 53 points (27g, 26a) in 60 games for Toronto, the worst point-per-game rate (0.88) of his 10-year career outside of his rookie 2016-17 campaign (0.84).
The Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings are the two NHL teams currently with head-coaching vacancies. Bruce Cassidy, fired by the Golden Knights in March, is among the top available names this offseason.
