Craig Berube Opens Camp With Joke About the Maple Leafs' 'Core Four'
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs - X
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube kicked off training camp with a bit of humour as he finally admitted he's glad there's no more 'Core Four' chatter.
This summer, the quartet of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner came to an unceremonious end. Marner was dealt to Vegas for Nic Roy after refusing trades prior and not intending to re-sign with the team.
It put an end to a near decade-long experiment that had its up but surely its downs as well. Marner is off to Sin City and it sounds like the team is glad and ready to move on from the whole thing.
Craig Berube Breaks the Ice With a Quip on the 'Core Four'
No one is happier it seems than Craig Berube.
During the team's introductory press conference before training camp kicks off, Berube wasted no time in cracking jokes, and targeted the Core Four; mainly he's glad that he doesn't need to hear that term any longer:
Look, I'll tell you what I am excited about. I don't have to hear 'Core Four' anymore. Hopefully, I don't have to hear it from you guys (the media) the whole season.
While it was clearly tongue in cheek from the Maple leafs bench boss, it seems to echo the sentiment that his players and fans feel; Marner's situation was exhausting and we're all better off now that it's over.
Why It Matters: A Shift Away From the 'Core Four' Narrative
For all the hope that the four men had together, it never really amounted to anything except a couple of second round appearances that turned into utter disappointments.
But with Berube, it's not about four players who can help lead the team, who is core focus of the roster. That's not how he rolls.
To him, everyone is part of the core because they all offer something important.
You have your stars sure, but what of your role players who fight tooth and nail to give those stars the chances to score? How about those who quietly kill penalties, blocks shots, and put their body on the line? Are they not a 'core' part of the team?
It's all about changing the narrative when it comes to the Maple Leafs this season, and it doesn't only have to do with roster changes. This unit has seemingly become even closer than ever, and that brotherhood has shown in the past to lead to a great amount of success.
We have to take a look at the bigger picture. Florida won two straight Stanley Cups with several players you'd look at with a puzzled face. Jonah Gadjovich? Tomas Nosek? Who heard of Niko Mikkola before the Finals?
But they all played critical roles in Florida's championship run, and it was Gadjovich who helped turn the tide in the pivotal Game Three of the second round.
So for all this talk about the Core Four, perhaps that was the team's biggest weakness.
A glaring target that suddenly now has a whole army of troops ready to defend and protect them.
One for all, and all for one.
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