Head Coach Craig Berube Changes the Maple Leafs' Official Team Mantra

When Berube was hired to replace the departed Sheldon Keefe, it was clear that things were going to change in Toronto. Berube has been in the deepest of waters in the NHL, coaching the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup championship in 2019. He wants to do it again with the Maple Leafs.

A team's mantra is a collection of words that are supposed to provide motivation and instill confidence. Once a team buys into a new mantra and a new system, that's when the magic can happen. The Leafs desperately needed to shake off some poor habits that they exhibited under Keefe, and for the most part, aside from Tuesday's game in Columbus, the team has played very well under their new head coach.

Berube is a guy who isn't afraid to call it like he sees it, and if you're not doing a satisfactory job, giving 100% and are not executing well, you're going to hear it, as Pontus Holmberg found out over the weekend.

During last night's broadcast on TSN, it was revealed that the Leafs have moved on from "Honour, Pride, Courage" and have adopted a new mantra, which has replaced the old one on the wall at Ford Performance Centre. The new mantra? "No Grit, No Grind, No Greatness".

The obvious message that Berube is trying to send his team here is that if you want to win, you can never allow yourselves to be out-worked. It's about hustle, pace, intensity, work ethic, and good hockey habits.

Prior to last night's blowout loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which Berube made absolutely no excuses for, publicly criticizing the efforts of his team, the Leafs have actually played some fantastic hockey against the likes of the Lightning, Rangers, Kings, Penguins, Devils and Canadiens. However, in losing last night's game against the Blue Jackets in embarrassing fashion, it's clear that some old habits die hard -- namely losing to opponents that you should beat with ease.

You can already see a difference in the way that the Leafs have played under Berube, so there is certainly hope that this team is buying into the new mantra. Now, it's just about not slipping back into old habits. It will take some time, but the Leafs are doing a lot of good things right now and appear to be much better in the aspects of the game that a team really needs to excel in the playoffs. Time will tell whether or not it's enough.