NHL News: Former 3x Stanley Cup champ makes something clear to Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs on Craig Berube

Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to hit the ground running in the 2025-26 NHL season. Entering Craig Berube’s second year in Hogtown, the Buds have been affected by inconsistency and several injuries. Now, the Leafs might be wise to listen to Pat Maroon’s latest comment on their head coach.

Maroon retired from the NHL during the 2024–25 season. After spending over 15 years in the league, he walked away a three-time Stanley Cup champion. For a player selected in the sixth round of the 2007 Draft, it’s safe to say Maroon exceeded all expectations. He hoisted his first Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues under Berube’s guidance. Now, the retired winger has shared a story from his time with Berube, offering a reminder for Matthews and the Maple Leafs.

“Berube he just got the message clear to us. He told us ‘if you don’t want to play the right way, you can sit in the stands and watch‘. To me that was a good message,” Maroon reminisced about his time with Berube on the Blues, via TSN OverDrive. “We just had to put it together.”

Maroon’s anecdote with Berube could serve as a great reminder for Matthews and the Leafs on who they are dealing with in Berube. Moreover, as Toronto struggles to establish itself in the NHL, St. Louis’ miraculous run in the 2018-19 season could serve as inspiration.

Pat Maroon during a game with the Chicago Blackhawks

Maroon explains what it means to play the right way

It may sound cliché, but the proof is in the pudding in the NHL. In order to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, teams often oversimplify their games. The Leafs, however, may have done just the opposite over the last few years.

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“To me, [playing the right way means] your stars are willing to live to fight another day,” Maroon explained. “Willing to chip pucks into an area where a linemate can go get it, willing to grind teams down. I think that’s what Berube means by that. To me, it’s a simple way of playing. Your star players are making an adjustment to their game for the team, so it’s a trickle-down effect.“

Sets example of Florida

If there’s one team the Maple Leafs can’t stand in the Atlantic Division lately, it’s the Florida Panthers. The Leafs and Cats have met twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the last three seasons, with the team from Sunrise prevailing both times. Still, as much as Matthews and company may despise the Panthers, they could learn a lesson or two from them. Maroon certainly thinks so.

“It’s the difference between the teams that have been winning. Look at [the Florida Panthers], all they do is get pucks back and wear you down,” Maroon stated. “Do they have stars on the team? Yeah, but do they have the [Nathan] MacKinnons, [Nikita] Kucherovs, or [Auston] Matthews? No, they don’t, but all those guys are buying in. That’s why they’ve had success. So [it’s about]: are you willing to buy in? Or are you just going to go out there, put your stick on the ice, and say ‘I’m all by myself’?”