Craig Berube is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played as a left winger and was known for his physical style of play. Berube began his professional career in 1986 with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he played for seven seasons. He then played for several other teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders.
Berube was known for his toughness on the ice and was often involved in fights. He was also a solid defensive player and penalty killer. He played in a total of 1,054 NHL games, scoring 61 goals and 98 assists for a total of 159 points. He also accumulated 3,149 penalty minutes, which is the seventh-highest total in NHL history.
After retiring as a player, Berube began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Flyers. He then served as an assistant coach for the Flyers from 2006 to 2013. In 2013, he was named the head coach of the Flyers after Peter Laviolette was fired. Berube led the team to a 42-27-10 record and a playoff appearance in his first season as head coach.
Berube was fired by the Flyers after the 2014-15 season and was hired as an assistant coach for the Blues in 2017. He was named the interim head coach of the Blues in November 2018 after the team struggled early in the season. Berube led the team to a 38-19-6 record for the remainder of the season and a playoff appearance. The Blues went on to win the Stanley Cup that year, with Berube becoming the second interim head coach in NHL history to win the Cup.
Berube was named the permanent head coach of the Blues in June 2019. He led the team to a 42-19-10 record in the 2019-20 season before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blues made the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round. In the 2020-21 season, the Blues struggled with injuries and inconsistency, finishing with a 27-20-9 record and missing the playoffs.
Overall, Craig Berube had a successful career as a player and has become a respected coach in the NHL. He is known for his tough, physical style of play and his ability to motivate his players. He has also shown that he can adapt to different situations, as evidenced by his success as an interim head coach and his ability to lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup championship.
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