Craig Berube
Enforcer turned Stanley Cup-winning head coach.
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Craig Berube is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who was most recently the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Chief," Berube played 17 seasons in the NHL primarily as an enforcer, and later served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019 as interim head coach of the Blues.
Lore & Background
Berube was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1986 and made his NHL debut in 1987, recording 16 penalty minutes including two fighting majors. He played 1,054 regular-season games across 17 seasons for the Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders, amassing 3,149 penalty minutes—seventh on the all-time list—and the lowest point total (159) of any player with 1,000 games played. During a 1997 game, Berube called Florida Panthers forward Peter Worrell "a monkey," a remark he claimed was not racially motivated; he apologized and was suspended for one game by the NHL.
Philadelphia Flyers
After retiring as a player, Berube began coaching in the AHL with the Philadelphia Phantoms. He was promoted to the Flyers' NHL coaching staff in 2006 and later became head coach of the Flyers in 2013, leading them to the 2014 playoffs before being relieved in 2015.
St. Louis Blues
He then served as head coach of the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues before being named interim head coach of the Blues in November 2018. Under Berube, the Blues went from last in the league standings in early 2019 to winning the Stanley Cup that season, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games. He was named the 26th head coach in Blues franchise history in June 2019 and signed a three-year contract extension in 2022, but was fired in December 2023 after a four-game losing streak.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Berube was hired as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in May 2024. In his first season, the team won the Atlantic Division with a 52–26–4 record and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. After a 32–36–14 season in 2025–26 and missing the playoffs, Toronto fired Berube in May 2026.
Reader's Guide
Craig Berube's significance lies in his dual career as a longtime NHL enforcer and as a head coach who led the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in 2019. His 3,149 career penalty minutes rank seventh all-time, and he holds the distinction of having the lowest point total of any player with 1,000 games played, underscoring his role as a physical, defensive-minded player. As a coach, Berube's turnaround of the Blues from last place in the league in January 2019 to a Stanley Cup victory is a notable achievement; he was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award that season.
He is also one of the few Indigenous head coaches in NHL history, being of Métis and Cree descent. His coaching tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs included an Atlantic Division title and a playoff series win, but ended after a losing season. Berube also served as a national team scout for Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Career statistics and honours
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1982–83 | Williams Lake Mustangs | PCJHL | 33 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Kamloops Jr. Oilers | WHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 70 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 104 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 1984–85 | New Westminster Bruins | WHL | 70 | 25 | 44 | 69 | 191 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 1985–86 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 32 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 34 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 95 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 102 |
| 1986–87 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 63 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 325 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 1987–88 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 27 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 31 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 119 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 53 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 199 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 1988–89 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 74 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 291 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 74 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 293 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 40 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 36 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 155 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 77 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 209 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| 1993–94 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 84 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 305 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| 1994–95 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 43 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 173 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 1995–96 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 50 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 151 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 1996–97 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 218 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 74 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 189 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| 1998–99 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 66 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 166 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1999–00 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 162 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | New York Islanders | NHL | 38 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 66 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 164 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 55 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 33 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 134 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 1,054 | 61 | 98 | 159 | 3,149 | 89 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 211 | ||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Craig Berube (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
Did You Know?
- He was traded three times in a span of just over seven months between 1991 and 1992.
- He scored the game-winning goal in Game 4 of the 2000 Eastern Conference finals for the Flyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Craig Berube?
Craig Berube, nicknamed 'Chief,' is a Canadian former NHL enforcer turned head coach who played 1,054 regular-season games over 17 seasons. He later moved into the coaching world, most notably leading the St. Louis Blues to a 2019 Stanley Cup title as their interim head coach.
What was Craig Berube's role on the ice?
Berube was primarily an enforcer, racking up 3,149 career penalty minutes while still chipping in 159 points across his 17-season NHL career. His physical, protective style made him a go-to player for the teams he suited up for.
How did Craig Berube win the Stanley Cup?
In 2019, Berube stepped in as interim head coach of the St. Louis Blues and guided them to the championship, turning around a rough start to the season. His full coaching tenure with the Blues ran from 2018 through 2023.
More in New York Islanders Players
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Craig Berube (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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