Berube won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues as head coach of the club in 2019.
Craig Berube was spotted outside the visiting locker room early Thursday morning, chatting with several players and staff from the St. Louis Blues.
"Obviously, you know, there's a lot of emotions," Berube said. "But once the puck drops, it's over. We're just playing. Like, we need a good response here tonight with our team. That's what I'm focused on."
Berube is all business as he works to get the Maple Leafs back on track after a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, where the entire team seemed to struggle on the ice.
"You've got to check, and we didn't check. That's the bottom line. That's where it ends for me," Berube said about Tuesday's game. "If we checked early in the game, I think we'd have been in good shape, but we didn't check. We didn't check early in the game, got down 3-0, and you're playing catch-up. We couldn't get a goal by the goalie. Like, you know, we had opportunities. We didn't score. But you put yourself in a hole, and you've got to do a better job of that."
Thursday's game against the Blues will be the first time Berube coaches against his former team since they dismissed him as head coach on December 14.
Given the emotions tied to this game, the Maple Leafs are expected to give a stronger effort than they did against Columbus.
"Those are always a little more special. Players, coaches, doesn’t matter, a team that gets rid of you is always one you want to win, especially when it’s the first one," Ryan Reaves said. "We’re going to try and get this one for him for sure."
Berube, who won a Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, was asked where he keeps his championship ring.
