Craig Berube walked away from a press convention with reporters following the St. Louis Blues’ 6-4 loss to the Detroit Crimson Wings Tuesday evening, however there have been nonetheless extra obligations as the pinnacle coach.
Berube’s spouse, Dominique, had organized a meet-and-greet with a father and son, after which, per his regular routine, he was organising Wednesday’s observe time with a employees member.
Then Berube went again to his workplace, the place basic supervisor Doug Armstrong quickly delivered the information that the membership was firing Berube after beginning the 2023-24 season with a report of 13-14-1.
“It wasn’t going via my thoughts that I used to be going to be let go,” Berube advised The Athletic. “What’s going via my thoughts is making an attempt to consider tomorrow and what we’re going to do otherwise to get higher and begin profitable some video games. However yeah, I went again in my workplace, after which Doug got here in, and I simply sort of figured then it would occur for certain.”
How did Armstrong break it to Berube?
“Simply bought to make a change,” he recalled. “I figured it would occur simply because we weren’t very constant. These three video games (towards Columbus, Chicago and Detroit) had been all winnable video games and we didn’t win them.
“I simply suppose he thought he wanted to make a change. In all probability he thought the gamers wanted a unique voice. Perhaps that’s a means of waking them up just a little bit. That’s sort of the way it goes.”
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Earlier than the official announcement of Berube’s dismissal got here round 11:10 p.m. CT, he chatted together with his assistant coaches and packed up a number of of his belongings.
And with that, the one man to face behind the Blues’ bench and produce St. Louis a Stanley Cup stepped into his black SUV and drove dwelling newly unemployed.
What was Berube pondering as his wheels rolled down the identical roads they’d the final six years after dwelling video games at Enterprise Middle?
“I suppose you’re simply fascinated about plenty of issues,” he stated. “It’s not a lot, ‘Effectively, I ought to have executed this or that.’ It was, ‘I’m not going to work tomorrow,’ and simply fascinated about the longer term just a little bit. What’s in retailer? That sort of stuff.
“I’ve been doing this job for a very long time as a participant and a coach, and now it’s going to be just a little totally different. I’m going to spend some nice time with my household, which is nice. However finally, I’ll want to determine what I wish to do as a result of I’m not able to not do that.”
Berube may nonetheless be teaching the Blues if it weren’t for the peaks and valleys, ups and downs, ebbs and flows that Armstrong pointed to as a main purpose for making the choice to half methods.
When the Blues had been beating high groups akin to Vegas and Colorado, and shedding to the likes of San Jose, Columbus and Chicago, Berube didn’t have a complete reply as to why the staff was so inconsistent. They by no means received greater than three consecutive video games, however by no means dropped greater than two in a row till the four-game skid that led to the tip for him.
Even three days eliminated, with time to mirror, Berube can’t utterly put a finger on it.
“Inconsistent play might be plenty of issues,” he stated. “We had a troublesome schedule that went on there, and I believe that performed just a little little bit of a task in that. However on the identical time, these are winnable video games that it’s good to win. We did plenty of good issues in these video games, however we made plenty of errors that price us the hockey video games.
“Now, the peaks and valleys? I actually don’t have a solution for you, to be sincere. Perhaps we lacked just a little id of what we actually had been, or what we actually wished to be. Perhaps I wished them to be my id, and perhaps plenty of guys didn’t wish to try this, or couldn’t try this.”
Which brings us to the query: Was this roster suited to Berube? Whereas Armstrong did add some dimension to the lineup final offseason, making an attempt to get again to a extra forecheck-friendly type, it didn’t have the identical feel and look that Blues’ groups below Berube have had prior to now.
“Effectively, it’s not straightforward to do on a regular basis,” he stated. “However I don’t actually wish to get into that, to be sincere with you. That’s not my place. I’m not the overall supervisor. I don’t put the staff collectively. I coach the staff, and, you recognize, you’re employed to educate the staff that’s put collectively and that was my job.”
That stated, Berube admitted that he might not have gotten probably the most out of the group.
“I really imagine there’s extra there,” he stated. “How rather more? I couldn’t reply that.”
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It was well-documented that the Blues may simply by no means get their energy play going. The unit, which is coached by assistant Steve Ott, who stays on the employees, was 7-for-83 and ranked No. 31 within the NHL (8.4 %) earlier than Thursday’s sport.
How is that even doable?
“Effectively, plenty of it, I believe it’s chemistry,” Berube stated. “We misplaced some actual good power-play guys over the past 12 months. Guys that, you recognize, a one-timer shot is necessary on the ability play. An actual good bumper man is actual necessary on the ability play.
“We misplaced a few guys (David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly) that had been a giant a part of the ability play and the success it had. There have been some good issues about it, however when your scorers aren’t scoring, particularly on the ability play, that turns into an issue.”
However after letting Perron stroll to free company following the 2021-22 season, the Blues had a dramatic 28-point drop-off within the standings final season, which led to Armstrong dealing Vladimir Tarasenko and O’Reilly earlier than the NHL commerce deadline.
“I want issues would’ve modified final 12 months in some unspecified time in the future,” Berube stated. “It was a troublesome 12 months final 12 months, particularly coming off the 12 months earlier than. We had a possibility to do some actual harm. Who is aware of if (Jordan) Binnington doesn’t get harm, we’d’ve overwhelmed Colorado, and you then transfer on. It was a great staff, however final 12 months was a troublesome 12 months all the best way round, and that was disappointing to me.”
The Blues fired Craig Berube after a 13-14-1 begin to the 2023-24 season. (Michael Reaves / Getty Photos)
The Blues went right into a self-proclaimed re-tool going into the 2023-24 season. Armstrong went bargain-basement purchasing for older gamers akin to Kasperi Kapanen, Jakub Vrana and Kevin Hayes, and the staff would even be turning to prospects akin to Nikita Alexandrov, Scott Perunovich, Tyler Tucker and others.
“It’s robust since you’re most likely working with guys that perhaps aren’t fairly able to tackle an on a regular basis position in your lineup,” Berube stated. “Then there’s different guys rising as gamers. They’re on a regular basis gamers, however they nonetheless have some challenges.
“On the identical time, you’ve bought some veterans on this staff which have been round and also you’re actually counting on them to do the job. So that you’re sort of caught in between just a little bit. I’m not saying that it’s not doable, nevertheless it’s robust.”
Because of this, Berube needed to push and push, and the manufacturing didn’t come, it appeared to create some resistance between him and the gamers. For his half, he stated these relationships remained on the up and up.
“Yeah, I believe they had been good,” Berube stated. “I don’t have a difficulty with guys. I’m fairly brutally sincere with them, whether or not they like that or not. Not each participant’s going to love you or like your type or like what you need from them.
“However ultimately, I’m the coach and that is what I believe goes to make us a great staff, and for me, it’s all concerning the staff. I deal with the staff and what I believe is greatest for the staff, that’s how I am going about my enterprise, and I’ll by no means change that.”
In gentle of Thursday’s story, through which Blues ahead Jordan Kyrou clarified his “no remark” when requested about Berube’s departure, the staff’s ex-coach was requested about that relationship.
“Pay attention, for me personally, I don’t have a difficulty with it,” Berube stated. “Jordan and I, after we talked, it was effective. It was by no means not effective. Perhaps he didn’t say precisely what he wished to say to me on a regular basis, however it’s what it’s. Typically relationships might be rocky. They’re not at all times going to be nice. However for me, I’m effective with the whole lot. It’s what it’s.”
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However now these Blues’ connections are now not, no less than on a training stage, and for that Berube is disappointing.
“I didn’t wish to go wherever,” he stated. “I felt like going off final 12 months, if you happen to wished to make a change, that was extra comprehensible. However coming into this 12 months, I believe we did some good issues and put ourselves in a great spot at one level. I do know recently, it’s been just a little bit rocky. Would I’ve appreciated to maintain going? For certain.”
After waking up Wednesday with out a job, Berube has spent the previous couple of days in St. Louis visiting with pals he’s gathered over the past eight seasons, which included two as an affiliate head coach.
“I’ve plenty of good individuals right here, lots of people which have been actually good to me right here, and I wish to make it possible for I say my goodbyes correctly,” he stated.
Berube’s spouse flew to St. Louis from Philadelphia to assist him pack, and he’s anticipated to depart city Monday or Tuesday. The ever-popular coach has been across the previous couple of days, when most Blues followers have made it clear that his dismissal was the mistaken choice.
“Effectively, it’ll go away quickly,” Berube deadpanned. “Pay attention, I beloved it right here. Individuals have been unbelievable to me right here. I believe when you might have success, like we’ve had right here, individuals adore it. They’ve been ready for a championship right here for a very long time and bought one. I admire the fan assist. It means a lot to me. This city is particular. It truly is.
“It’s a blue-collar city, and I’m a blue-collar man. I believe individuals relate to that. I believe the sort of city pertains to that. That’s actually what they’re about, and that bodes effectively with me. I’ll miss that. I’ll miss St. Louis. I actually will. However it’s time to maneuver on.”
Berube doesn’t know what his subsequent cease will probably be, however it will likely be in teaching.
“I’ve bought to present it some thought,” he stated. “I wish to be certain that I’m going to a great group. You wish to work with good individuals, and also you at all times need a possibility to win. I wish to coach, however I wish to make it possible for it’s the precise state of affairs.
“When you get a name, and it’s this 12 months, you then’ve bought to have a look at it and assess the state of affairs and actually do your due diligence on issues. So I’m open-minded proper now, however on the identical time, I’m going to take a back-step right here for just a little bit.”
St. Louis will definitely see Berube once more due to what occurred in 2019, a Stanley Cup that nobody can take away.
“It was an incredible time,” he stated. “If you win, that’s at all times going to be there for the remainder of your life. It’s at all times going to be considered one of your greatest recollections within the sport, for certain. There was by no means a greater feeling within the sport that I’ve had in my life than hoisting that Cup over my head.”
(Prime photograph: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI through Getty Photos)
