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Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Shares the Truth About His Relationship With William Nylander
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro - Imagn Images
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube opens up on his special relationship with forward William Nylander, which included a couple of hilarious quips about his season.
One thing that came out of the 2024-25 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs was the relationship between head coach Craig Berube and forward William Nylander. All throughout the year, we had seen the two engage in off-the-cuff conversations that left both of them laughing on or off the ice.
Berube opened up a little about that relationship on the 'Nasty Knuckles' podcast with former Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Riley Cote and former Flyers equipment manager Derek Settlemyre:
"He's quite the guy though, rolling in there, muscle shirt on, earrings, hair all over. He'll always say to me 'yeah you lost me in that first period' and I'm like, 'what are you talking about?' And he's like 'well I need a lot of ice time to get going'...
I said to him one time, he got a point blank chance and I said, 'you shot it right in the goalie's glove!' And he goes 'well, I wasn't out there early enough, I wasn't warmed up enough' and I'm looking at him like what a beauty. He's as skilled as any player that I've coached, that's for sure.
I said to him one time, he got a point blank chance and I said, 'you shot it right in the goalie's glove!' And he goes 'well, I wasn't out there early enough, I wasn't warmed up enough' and I'm looking at him like what a beauty. He's as skilled as any player that I've coached, that's for sure.
While most Maple Leafs fans are well aware of their relationship and how close they became as coach and player, many on the outside are still unaware of their unique connection. That includes NHL analyst Darren Pang, who touched on why the Leafs should trade Nylander because he doesn't gel with Berube's style and coaching system.
William Nylander's Relationship With Craig Berube is Actually Helpful for the Leafs
With the Maple Leafs expected to move on from Mitch Marner and John Tavares this summer, Nylander is going to become even more of a focal point and his closeness to Berube is only going to be a boon. When one of your most skilled players is chopping it up with the head coach, that shows a level of cohesion that other teams might not be privy to.
After a solid first season behind the bench in Toronto, look for Berube to further his success in year 2 with Nylander and Auston Matthews leading the charge when the Maple Leafs return to ice ahead of the 2025-26 season.
| POLL | ||
MAI 30 | 5634 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Shares the Truth About His Relationship With William Nylander Does William Nylander finally reach the 50-goal mark next season? | ||
| Yes | 3444 | 61.1 % |
| No | 2190 | 38.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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