Craig Berube Makes History With Maple Leafs After Incredible Milestone
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Coming into his first year as head coach, Craig Berube already etched his name in the history books of the Maple Leafs by making a statement in his debut season.
When he was hired this past offseason, Craig Berube was supposed to bring a new vision and game plan to the Maple Leafs after years of failure under Sheldon Keefe, which only saw one playoff series win and leading to Keefe being booted shortly after losing to Boston.
It's been a great season to say the least for Berube. He's come in and transformed Toronto into a grittier and more aggressive team, eschewing the finesse style of play for a dump and chase grinding mentality and it's paid off huge thus far.
Sitting first in the Atlantic and already clinching home-ice advantage, a win would give them everything they had hoped for this season and then some; a division title would be their first in 25 years too, which is a feat in and of itself.
Speaking of feats, Craig Berube made history with his latest string of victories. With Toronto's 50th victory of the season, the first year bench boss won the most games ever for a debut coach in Maple Leafs history, surpassing two legendary coaches: Pat Quinn and Pat Burns.
While it was expected that Berube would bring a different look to the team, nobody could have anticipated just how good the team is, especially with a much better roster constructed ahead of the playoffs.
It shouldn't be too surprising given that he came in mid-way through the season for St. Louis in 2018-19 and led them to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and it just goes to show that a grittier, more old-school method can still be successful in today's modern game.
Berube can finish with a maximum of 52 wins, which would give him the most in his career by a long shot and if he can continue this pace for the next few seasons (given he signs an extension with the team when his current deal is up) will need six more seasons in order to break Pat Quinn's record of 300.
If he gets ridiculously hot in the next couple of seasons could potentially give Keefe's record of 212 wins a run for its money, though we'll definitely have to see how different the 2025-26 team looks compared to this year's.
The main question now is can Berube lead Toronto to playoff success beyond the first round, and does he have the motivating presence to push them over the edge from good to great?
If his previous resume is any indication, he sure does, and he can back up his approach with that Championship ring on his hand. But it's ultimately up to the players now, something Berube can only control so much.