Don’t think bring nice was what he says was #1 al- if that was the case Donny would still
Be here. He just was saying you can’t just throw chairs and swear - you need to have a relationship with players too …but accountability was #1 not being approachable.
Craig Berube
Experience: The St. Louis Blues were last in the NHL in January 2019, then rallied under Berube as interim coach to win the first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s then-52-year history. They won three of their last four games to beat the Boston Bruins after completing a similar comeback in the Western Conference finals and surviving an overtime Game 7 against Dallas in the second round.
Berube led the Blues to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons, but they advanced past the first round only once after their Cup victory. He was fired in December 2023 with St. Louis under .500 and ranking 26th in goals per game.
Pedigree: The Philadelphia Flyers had Berube on staff in 2009-10 when they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also led them to a postseason appearance in 2013-14 after taking over as coach midseason.
Accountability: A longtime NHL enforcer, Berube was lauded for his ability to get the most out of the Blues under challenging circumstances. It wasn’t until their defense depth and makeup changed that they took a step back. He was lauded for how he held his players accountable throughout his time as coach there. Berube is also known for his ability to have his teams play with structure, which, according to Sabres players, is a necessary next step.
“We need a hard, accountable, structure-driven coach,” defenseman Connor Clifton said. “There’s so much young talent in this room. ... I guess we just need someone to lead us in a better way, in a more hard-mannered way, where we can follow the leader and work and be better than we were this year.”
Fit: Would Berube’s preferred style of play be too polarizing and not a fit for the skill on the Sabres’ roster? His teams in St. Louis were excellent when the roster had big, mobile defensemen. He would have that in Buffalo with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. The Blues’ top, young players, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, also had success under Berube.
Well, the players themselves say that they need a tough coach.