As the Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off the 2024 offseason, the organization made a significant change by addressing their head coaching position. After parting ways with former head coach Sheldon Keefe, who has since joined the New Jersey Devils, the organization sought a new voice to steer the ship in the right direction.

Enter Stanley Cup-winning head coach Craig Berube, who was named the 32nd head coach in franchise history on May 17, 2024.

Brought in for his honest approach, coaching experience, and accountable style, one former Maple Leafs defenseman lauded Berube’s direct and transparent perspective, highlighting how it positively impacted him during their time together.

Luke Schenn, who played under Berube throughout three seasons from 2012-15 with the Philadelphia Flyers, joined Leafs Morning Take on Tuesday alongside Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss the impact he believes he’ll have in Toronto.

“He’s a great coach. He says it like it is, there’s no sugarcoating with him. He’s what you want in a coach or, for me at least, personally,” Schenn said.

Schenn appreciated Berube’s no-nonsense approach, which he described as “black and white,” with no room for ambiguity. This clarity, according to Schenn, ensures players always know where they stand, an essential quality in a high-pressure market like Toronto.

“He’s black and white, no gray area; you know where he stands all the time. If you’re not playing well, he’ll let you know. I think it’s good, and it’ll be good in that market as well.”

This isn’t the first time the ‘Chief’ has received praise from former players and coaches. In a June episode of The Cam & Strick Podcast, former Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger recalled how intimidating Berube was as a coach and how he was respected on and off the ice league-wide.

“When he got fired in Philly I didn’t really understand it,” Pronger said, referring to then-general manager Ron Hextall’s decision to part ways with Berube. “Hexy wanted his own guy in there. But I like Chief (Berube). I had him as an assistant coach there, and obviously played against him for a long time.”

“This was when Colton Orr was in Toronto and he was kind of running the roost, right? He’s coming by our bench and he’s motherf****ng everybody. ‘What are you f****ng doing?’ He was like ‘I’m not talking to you, Chief’. I mean, as he’s going at it, he saw Chief, I think they locked eyes, ‘I’m not talking to you’.”

In a previous edition of Leafs Morning Take, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper also voiced his approval of Berube’s hiring. Cooper said, “I have a solid friendship with him. I hate when these guys come into our division and I’m buddies with them,” Cooper revealed. “But I think he’s a hell of a coach. I think he gets the best out of his players.”

“He’s an honest coach. If fans of the team want to get the most out of their players and have them… I know the way he’s going to play and it’s going to be hard to play against. But the one thing he’ll make sure he gets out of the guys is an honest effort. That’s what Craig does.”

At 58 years old, Berube brings extensive experience from over 1,000 NHL games as a player and became the 16th head coach in the Maple Leafs’ history who had previously played for the organization. Split between time with the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, he has coached 543 regular season games boasting a 281-190-72 record (.584 winning percentage), and has a 27-31 record in the postseason.

He made his mark by leading the Blues to a Stanley Cup victory in the 2018-19 season and compiled a regular season record of 206-132-44 (.597) over six seasons with the club.

As the Leafs continue to strive for success, Berube’s straightforward approach could prove invaluable, at minimum, a change of scenery.