Brad Treliving says Maple Leafs interviewed nine candidates before making Craig Berube head coach decision

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified May 21, 2024 18:11 GMT

Brad Treliving, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, talked about the process of hiring Craig Berube as the new head coach. He met with more than nine candidates before deciding on Berube.

"When I went through the process, it kept coming back to Craig," Treliving said.

Todd McLellan and Jay Woodcroft were other candidates who were interviewed.

Craig Berube was officially named head coach of the Maple Leafs on May 17, replacing Sheldon Keefe, who was dismissed on May 9. Berube's tenure with the St. Louis Blues ended in December.

This season, the Maple Leafs fell to the Boston Bruins in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference first round. Under his guidance, the Leafs managed just one playoff series win. Their struggles were clearly visible. Especially if we talk about the recent series against the Bruins.

Maple Leafs new head coach shared his excitement

Craig Berube expressed his excitement about joining the organization during his introductory press conference. He shared his views on the team's talented core players as a major factor in his decision.

"The core player group is great here. They have some great players here. That was definitely one of the attractions to come and coach this team," Berube said (via mapleleafshotstove.com)

"Watching the playoffs this year with them, there was already that change kind of going on with how they want to be built and play.

"That is Brad bringing that in. Talking with Brad and Brendan, we are on the same page. I think that is important. That was one of the big attractions: We have some real good players here," Berube added

When asked about his team's style of play, Berube emphasized competitiveness, speed and structured gameplay.

"Playing predictable and north. Paying as fast as we can. Structure is huge. We have to have structure in all three zones. That is going to be a priority," Berube said

Regarding goaltending, he deferred discussion to future conversations with management.

"That is something that Brad, myself, and Brendan are going to discuss. We are going to look at all areas. That is not for today," Berube added

Berube acknowledged the challenges of coaching in a high-pressure market like the Toronto Maple Leafs but affirmed his focus on internal communication and not letting external pressures affect his approach.