Craig Berube faces the challenge of leading the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ rebuild following a painful elimination against the Florida Panthers in the 2024–25 NHL season. The current head coach of the Canadian team shared his thoughts on the departure of president Brendan Shanahan.
During Shanahan’s tenure, the Maple Leafs made nine consecutive playoff appearances and built a competitive core led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. However, disappointing results in recent seasons ultimately brought his time with the organization to an end.
The Maple Leafs are undergoing a full-scale restructuring and have already confirmed that there will be no direct replacement for Shanahan. According to CEO Keith Pelley, he will personally take on a closer working relationship with general manager Brad Treliving. In that context, Berube — now in his first year with the franchise — bid farewell to the former president.
Berube’s words for Shanahan
“It was a tough day. I was in constant communication with Shanny throughout the season. He is a guy who knows about winning, and he was obviously a great player. I loved talking to him about hockey on a daily basis and being around him. He was around us a lot, which was great,” Berube admitted, according to MapleLeafsHotStove.com.
Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs
“For me, it was excellent to have that type of person, with what he has accomplished in his career, to run things by — situational stuff. I really enjoyed him. We would go on the road and hang out together as a staff. He was always with us. It was fun. He will be missed,” Berube said.
see also
Auston Matthews and Craig Berube’s Maple Leafs make final decision on Brendan Shanahan’s replacement
How long had Shanahan been with the Maple Leafs?
Brendan Shanahan served as President and Alternate Governor of the Toronto Maple Leafs from April 2014 to May 2025. During his 11-year tenure, he led a major rebuild of the team—known as the “Shanaplan”—which turned the Leafs into a consistent regular-season contender.
