Three Potential Landing Spots For Craig Berube Following Maple Leafs Dismissal
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube from his head coaching duties.
Berube's dismissal by the Maple Leafs was not particularly surprising. Due to how poorly this season went for Toronto, the 60-year-old had been one of the NHL's top hot-seat candidates for most of the 2025-26 season, but especially from January onwards.
Now, after being fired by the Maple Leafs, Berube is a free agent. When looking at Berube's resume, it should not take him very long to find his next head coaching gig in the NHL.
Oilers' Stan Bowman Talks Coaching Change: Key Takeaways From His Media Availability
Stan Bowman addresses the difficult decision to move on from Kris Knoblauch, citing a lack of consistency and the need for a new voice to spark improvement.
Los Angeles Kings
D.J. Smith led the Los Angeles Kings to an 11-6-6 record as their interim coach after they fired Jim Hiller in March. While Smith helped lead the Kings to the playoffs, it is not set in stone that he will be their coach next season.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported that the Kings were denied permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy by the Vegas Golden Knights. With this, Los Angeles is at least open to exploring other coaching options, so they could be a team to watch when it comes to Berube.
If the Kings officially decide to move on from Smith, it would make sense for them to pursue Berube. He could be a great coach for them as they enter the post-Anze Kopitar era.
Report: Golden Knights Reject Kings Permission To Speak With Bruce Cassidy
The Los Angeles Kings have reportedly expressed mutual interest in Bruce Cassidy as their next head coach, but have not yet been given permission to speak with him.
New Jersey Devils
Could Berube replace Sheldon Keefe from a head coaching job for the second time in his career? It would certainly make for a humorous story in the NHL, but especially for Maple Leafs fans.
Yet, when noting that the New Jersey Devils underperformed significantly this season and missed the playoffs, it is fair to question Keefe's job security in New Jersey. The Devils have a new GM in Sunny Mehta, and he could very well switch things up behind the bench.
If Keefe is let go by the Devils, Berube would make a lot of sense as a target for them. The Devils are looking to become true contenders, and bringing in a top coach like Berube could help them take the next step toward achieving that goal.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 10:34 AM.