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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Craig Berube knew it could come. His former St. Louis Blues gamers he coached right here knew it could come.
And it’s lastly arrived.
It was solely a matter of time when Berube was fired as coach of the Blues as to who would rent him, not when and/or if he would get employed as an NHL coach. When the Toronto Maple Leafs employed Berube to switch Sheldon Keefe on Could 17 and when the brand new schedules for the 2024-25 season turned accessible, it was pure to look: when do the Blues and Maple Leafs sq. off?
It was quickly realized it could be early within the season, each in Toronto and in St. Louis, which might be one other story in itself.
The primary matchup is upon us and it will likely be at Scotiabank Area on Thursday when the Blues and Leafs, every sporting 4-3-0 information, conflict for the primary time.
The 58-year-old will at all times be remembered and revered by the gamers from the 2018-19 Blues crew and its followers for being the primary coach to convey a Stanley Cup to St. Louis, however when Berube was fired on Dec. 12, 2023 and changed by Drew Bannister, it reduce the twine of the chief that helped gasoline the Blues’ run.
A couple of of the gamers nonetheless stay, together with goalie Jordan Binnington, defenseman Colton Parayko and forwards Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas and Oskar Sundqvist, who’re all keen on the person everybody calls ‘Chief.’
“Oh yeah. Positively makes you retain tabs on Toronto slightly bit extra,” mentioned Schenn, who additionally performed for Berube with the Philadelphia Flyers. “’Chief’ has been so good to me over my profession and gave me such a fantastic alternative to play on this league for a very long time. I positively owe him quite a bit.
“I am not going to say I’ll root for the Toronto Maple Leafs, however you are positively rooting for ‘Chief’ to do nicely. He is a very good man, he is loyal and he is sincere. Guys positively liked him round this locker room for a few years.”
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When the Blues have been mired in final place within the NHL on Jan. 3, 2019, lower than two months after he changed Mike Yeo, Berube – because the gamers have all recalled – at all times appeared to have a pulse for the room, and when he made the boldest of these strikes by bringing in a little-known goalie enjoying within the American Hockey League named Jordan Binnington, who shut out the Flyers in his first NHL begin (3-0), it fueled a run for the ages. One thing Binnington will at all times recognize.
“We have now a very good bond, I suppose with that,” Binnington mentioned. “We have gained loads of hockey video games collectively and I feel that is the factor that stands out probably the most. I actually loved enjoying for him.
“We have been collectively for a very long time for I do not know what number of years. Simply his enthusiasm and his pleasure and him on a private degree is somebody you possibly can relate to and wish to play for. An ideal tenure with him.”
The identical might be mentioned of Parayko, who soared underneath Berube’s tutelage. Parayko got here onto the scene and excelled underneath Ken Hitchcock when the Blues made a run to the Western Convention Last in 2016 earlier than shedding to the San Jose Sharks in six video games, however he actually made his identify and sparked his profession as a premier shutdown defenseman when he tandemed with Jay Bouwmeester.
“He meant heaps clearly,” Parayko mentioned. “The issues that he teaches you in regards to the recreation and off the ice too. From a participant perspective, he was nice to play for. You needed to return and play for him on the rink. He is only a nice coach. Clearly successful a Stanley Cup with him, it is particular and the bond that every one of us gamers had that have been on that crew collectively. Particular coach clearly for us and simply trying ahead to seeing him.
“Clearly that was an enormous a part of my profession. Simply the boldness of realizing that you simply’re capable of play in these conditions, play in opposition to their gamers, play that many minutes. It clearly offers you a lift of confidence. I feel that is one of many largest issues as an athlete is, particularly hockey, confidence normally. That brings out loads of good in gamers. You watch guys get confidence, it goes a good distance. To have a coach to belief you in conditions is big and positively brings out one of the best in gamers.”
It needs to be a simple recreation for Berube to educate. Certain, he has the admiration for these skaters that performed underneath him, however that is the group that in the end let him go, and there might be hearth within the intestine to take them down.
“It’ll be nice,” mentioned Berube, who was 206-132-44 over components of six seasons in St. Louis. “I had some nice years there. I obtained very shut with loads of gamers and administration and the folks of St. Louis, and at all times might be.
“As for the gamers, I coached Brayden Schenn since he was a child in Philly. Robert Thomas, Jordan Binnington, I coached them for a very long time. So, I care quite a bit about these guys, I care quite a bit in regards to the group and in regards to the Blues.
“However I’ve moved on now. I’m with the Leafs now.”
The Blues really feel Berube can do for the Leafs lineup what he did for them: talk nicely, have a pulse for the room and maintain folks accountable.
“I feel simply being a communicator,” Schenn mentioned.
And who can ever neglect this communication earlier than Sport 7 of the Cup Last in opposition to the Boston Bruins?
“You sort of know the place you stand with him,” Schenn mentioned. “There’s actually no ‘BS’ in the case of ‘Chief’. I’ve at all times mentioned he is the primary man that will come and say, ‘Let’s get going. You performed like crap final evening.’ However after that, 20 minutes later, it is extra so, ‘How’s your day?’ He would not maintain something in opposition to anybody, I discover. I feel guys actually respect that. I’ve had some matches with him the place we obtained into it slightly bit and the following day it is all wonderful. That is what made our relationship fairly particular. He is positively a coach I owe quite a bit to.
“(And) yeah, he had a very good pulse on the room positively, and if you happen to really feel he did not have a pulse, you would be the primary man — whoever his leaders are within the locker room — and attempt to discover them and discover the heartbeat straight away. He relied on his guys quite a bit. Again within the day like ‘Steener’ and ‘Petro’ after which [Ryan] O’Reilly and the checklist goes on and on (Schenn was interrupted and instructed your self) … yeah, nicely we’re speaking about different guys (laughing). If he felt like he did not have a pulse, he was the primary one to go to his gamers and discover out what the difficulty is and attempt to confront it that approach.”
The sort of man gamers would run by a brick wall for?
“Yeah as a result of I feel it is reciprocal,” Binnington mentioned. “I really feel like he felt the identical approach in regards to the crew he is teaching and that was us on the time. Quite a lot of enjoyable hockey moments he shared with us as a bunch and with him behind the bench.
“I really feel like he had a very good really feel for the group. He was nice with the blokes. Everybody actually loved enjoying for him. He simply introduced an depth and respect that he earned not solely from his teaching profession however his enjoying profession. Simply his presence, I’d say, is the principle factor that stands out for me.”
However now that he’s on the opposite bench, will there be chirping?
“I am certain he’ll be chirping us,” Schenn mentioned. “I have been on the bench when he is chirped some gamers, so I in all probability count on nothing completely different from him.
“They are going to be fired up. They misplaced 6-2 [Tuesday] evening and they will be making an attempt to make an announcement for his or her coach. We count on a aggressive recreation and we’re trying ahead to enjoying ‘Chief.’ I count on a very good, laborious, aggressive recreation tomorrow.”
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