'My Time With Him Was Excellent': Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Reacts To Brendan Shanahan's Departure

May 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CANADA; Toronto Maple Leafs new head coach Craig Berube speaks during an introductory media conference while seated beside general manager Brad Treliving (center) and team president Brendan Shanahan at Ford Performance Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said Thursday was difficult when Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment announced that they would not renew team president Brendan Shanahan's contract.

Just over a year ago, Berube, Shanahan, and Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving sat in the film room inside Ford Performance Centre to discuss hiring the head coach. Shanahan called Berube "a great coach, a great person" after the interview process, which saw the Maple Leafs reach out to his former players.

Even before working together in Toronto, Berube and Shanahan had their run-ins on the ice as players. "He was just a guy that played a long time and played the same way a long time, and was a great teammate," Shanahan said.

"And going through this process, bringing it back to us searching for our next head coach, the more people you dug into, and the more information you got, the feedback was even more positive. It just felt like things that we were hoping for, things we saw were confirmed."

On Sunday, three days after MLSE confirmed Shanahan's departure, Berube appeared on the Nasty Knuckles Podcast and discussed his time working under the Maple Leafs president, among other topics.

"It was a tough day. I was in constant communication with him throughout the season, and here's a guy that knows about winning and was obviously a great player. I love talking to him about hockey on a daily basis and just being around him. He was around us a lot, which was great," Berube said.

"For me, it was excellent to have that type of person and what he's accomplished in his career, just to run things by and situational stuff. So I really enjoyed him. We go on the road, we hang out together as a staff, and he was always with us. It was fun, and he'll be missed.

"He did a great job in Toronto, building a really good team and a competitive team for as long as they've been. Wish him all the best, but my time with him was excellent and I'll miss him."

Shanahan had been with the Maple Leafs since 2014, when he was hired to spearhead the team's rebuild. Shanahan added several new hockey departments, rekindled the relationship with the team's alumni, and made the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons at the helm.

"Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the 'Honour, Pride and Courage' that it was founded on," MLSE CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement after Shanahan's departure.

"Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead.

"The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future."