TORONTO — General manager John Chayka held a media availability at the Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday to announce Craig Berube is out as Maple Leafs coach.
It's the first major move made by Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin since being hired to lead the front office on May 3.
"We didn't make this decision in a vacuum," Chayka said. "This is a bigger-picture decision, and it's not just about a coach. Mats and I spent the last 10 days or so meeting with everyone from the chefs to talking to some of the players and everything in between. I just feel like there's some things that we need to change and do better."
Chayka declined to specify what the organization can improve, stating today's focus is on the coaching decision.
The move "is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig," Chayka said in a statement.
Berube's Tenure
In Berube's first season behind the bench, the Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division for the first time. Toronto beat the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs before pushing the eventual champion Florida Panthers to seven games.
It was the longest playoff run for the franchise in the Auston Matthews era. However, the second season saw the Leafs decline by 30 points in the standings—the largest year-to-year drop in franchise history.
Toronto finished fifth last in the standings and had the worst record in the NHL (5-15-5) after the Olympic break.
"He's a great man, very good coach," said Chayka. "Did a lot of good things here. That's not lost on me. I told him I hope to lead with the same class and grace that he did in his time here."
Berube was two years into a four-year contract.
Search for New Coach
Chayka and Sundin met with Berube in person on Saturday before making the decision on Tuesday.
There is no timeline to hire a new coach. A decision on the rest of the coaching staff—including assistants Derek Lalonde, Mike Van Ryn and Steve Sullivan—will be determined by the new head coach.
"There's key milestones that are coming up," Chayka said. "Running an efficient process matters, but we're going to take our time and do a very wide search and talk to a lot of people. It's the most critical decision as a general manager."
Toronto's unique market will play a factor in the search, Chayka acknowledged.