After Wednesday’s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Keith Pelley’s press conference and his uncertain future with the Maple Leafs.

Keith Pelley said that the decision on your future will be made by the new guys in charge. How do you deal with the uncertainty, not knowing what your future will look like?

Berube: I am focused on coaching the team, honestly. Tomorrow, we have a game. That is what I’m doing. I can’t control that. Whatever happens, happens. I am the coach here now. My focus is on the team. That’s it.

Pelley mentioned that there are the foundational players here to contend next year. Do you believe that? If so, what gives you the confidence?

Berube: Of course, I believe that. I’ve seen it. It’s been a down year. We all know that. We had to be better, and we weren’t. There are different[ factors]. But these foundational players have done it for a while here. There is no reason they can’t keep doing it.

They need support. 100%, they need support. The team needs to play as a unit and a team. It is not just all on them. That’s everybody — goalie, coaches. That is what makes it go.

How often do you converse with Pelley? 

Berube: We talked today, actually. Over the past two years, I’ve talked to him a lot. He has been around. We have conversations about a lot of things.

Pelley said this will be the biggest decision he makes as MLSE President. What have you liked about working with him? What gives you confidence he’ll get it right?

Berube: He has done it before, right? He has run different avenues, whether it is back in the day with Rogers, or the DP World Golf; I don’t know all of what he did. But he knows what he is doing. He knows how to build things. We should have a lot of confidence in what he is going to do going forward here.

Do you mean different role players?

Berube: They can’t just do it themselves. They need the team. Everybody needs to be part of it and help bring it along. It is not just on three or four guys, or whatever you’re talking about. It is on everybody. It is a team. That is how you have success in this league.

Pelley mentioned that the culture seemed off this year, but he also mentioned he is not in the room, so he can’t really speak to it. 

Berube: I don’t think the culture was off, to be honest with you. We obviously didn’t perform at a high enough level this year to be successful.

You mentioned that the three games after the Olympic break surprised you the most. Have you been able to look back on where it went wrong?

Berube: We had three guys come back from the Olympics, so whether they were up to speed or if they were tired, there are a lot of aspects there. Just as a whole, our team didn’t perform well enough in those games out of the break, which is disappointing. We had time off. The rest was there. We had really good practices. I was excited coming out of the break, and it didn’t go as planned.

What do you enjoy about the process, even when you are in the current situation? From a coaching perspective, where do you find the joy down a stretch like this? 

Berube: This is what I like to do. Obviously, I love doing it. It has been my life. Whether we are in the playoffs or out of the playoffs — and I get there has been all this uncertainty — this is what I do. I come to the rink with the same attitude. That is the truth. I come with the same attitude every day, and I coach in the same way.

What allows you to do that when others might get down?

Berube: I am down. I lost a friend and a GM. I told you guys that bothers me. But I know it is a business, and that is the way it goes. As I said, I’ve always felt very fortunate to be in the NHL and be a part of the NHL, from a player to a coach. I just don’t take it for granted. I just don’t. I know I am 60, but as I said, I am a lucky guy to be a part of it.

Practice Lines – Apr. 1

Lines at Leafs practice in Anaheim

Cowan – Tavares – Nylander
Knies – Groulx – Maccelli
Joshua – Domi – Robertson
Lorentz – Quillan – Jarnkrok
Pezzetta

Rielly – Carlo
McCabe – Stecher
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
Myers

Stolarz
Woll

at SJ tomorrow @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/v3UilTmWX4

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 1, 2026