After Wednesday\u2019s practice, head coach Craig Berube discussed Keith Pelley\u2019s press conference and his uncertain future with the Maple Leafs. <\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
Berube: I am focused on coaching the team, honestly. Tomorrow, we have a game. That is what I\u2019m doing. I can\u2019t control that. Whatever happens, happens. I am the coach here now. My focus is on the team. That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
Pelley mentioned that there are the foundational players here to contend next year. Do you believe that? If so, what gives you the confidence?<\/p>\n
Berube: Of course, I believe that. I\u2019ve seen it. It\u2019s been a down year. We all know that. We had to be better, and we weren\u2019t. There are different[ factors]. But these foundational players have done it for a while here. There is no reason they can\u2019t keep doing it.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0That\u2019s everybody \u2014 goalie, coaches. That is what makes it go.<\/p>\n
How often do you converse with Pelley?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Berube: We talked today, actually. Over the past two years, I\u2019ve talked to him a lot. He has been around. We have conversations about a lot of things.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ll get it right?<\/p>\n
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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
Do you mean different role players?<\/p>\n
Berube: They can\u2019t 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\u2019re talking about. It is on everybody. It is a team. That is how you have success in this league.<\/p>\n
Pelley mentioned that the culture seemed off this year, but he also mentioned he is not in the room, so he can\u2019t really speak to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Berube: I don\u2019t think the culture was off, to be honest with you. We obviously didn\u2019t perform at a high enough level this year to be successful.<\/p>\n
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?<\/p>\n
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\u2019t 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\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n
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?\u00a0<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 and I get there has been all this uncertainty \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
What allows you to do that when others might get down?<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve 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\u2019t take it for granted. I just don\u2019t. I know I am 60, but as I said, I am a lucky guy to be a part of it.<\/p>\n
Practice Lines \u2013 Apr. 1 <\/p>\n
Lines at Leafs practice in Anaheim <\/p>\n
Cowan \u2013 Tavares \u2013 Nylander
Knies \u2013 Groulx \u2013 Maccelli
Joshua \u2013 Domi \u2013 Robertson
Lorentz \u2013 Quillan \u2013 Jarnkrok
Pezzetta <\/p>\n
Rielly \u2013 Carlo
McCabe \u2013 Stecher
Benoit \u2013 Ekman-Larsson
Myers<\/p>\n
Stolarz
Woll<\/p>\n
at SJ tomorrow @TSN_Sports<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/v3UilTmWX4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mark Masters (@markhmasters) April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n