The Toronto Maple Leafs earned a hard-fought victory Monday, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 in overtime. Earlier that same day, the franchise announced the dismissal of Brad Treliving as general manager.
Fans had long been expecting a concrete move from the board, though there was also considerable speculation about the future of head coach Craig Berube, who as of Tuesday, retains his position.
After the game against the Ducks, Berube was asked whether he fears for his future in Toronto, to which the coach simply replied that it is not something he is thinking about, turning his focus instead to expressing his feelings toward Treliving.
“I don’t think about it, guys [his future]. I really don’t. You probably think I’m bull—-ting you, but I’m not. I mean, you know, I feel for Brad right now and his family. That’s what I feel right now,” he said during his media duties after the victory in Anaheim.
Craig Berube makes emotional admission after Maple Leafs fire GM Brad Treliving
Berube insisted that he feels deeply for Treliving and his family, noting that in the short time the former GM was in charge, the team came very close to the Stanley Cup.
“What did I appreciate about working with him? Great communication team every day. Great person to be around. He was a lot of fun to work with for me as a coach,” he said.
“We wanted to build something here, and we did. Last year, as I said, we were right there, but we didn’t succeed. And this year, we obviously dropped off. I don’t know what to say, guys. I just… I feel for him and his family right now.”
Following the victory against the Ducks, the Leafs delayed their inevitable elimination from playoff contention, but they are still 11 points out of a playoff spot with only seven games remaining.
Up next, Toronto will travel to face the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, April 2, at SAP Center, before heading to Los Angeles to take on the Kings on Saturday, April 4.