Maple Leafs Fire Coach Craig Berube After Dismal 2025-26 Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last in their division during the 2025-26 NHL season, a low point made worse by the recent hiring of a new general manager. Now the team has fired coach Craig Berube.

The Leafs dismissed former GM Brad Treliving late in the season and brought in John Chayka, the controversial ex-Arizona Coyotes GM, with franchise legend Mats Sundin serving as an advisor. A last-place finish demanded changes, starting with Berube's departure.

Berube won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and took over the Leafs before the 2024-25 season. That year ended with a second-round playoff loss. This season marked a sharp decline.

"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."

Chayka offered no details on his broader plans for the team. He said discussions with captain and star Auston Matthews played no role in the firing decision. Matthews, 28, has two years left on his contract. Chayka must weigh the forward's place in Toronto's future and whether Matthews wants to remain.