Report: DeBoer reached out to Berube to quell Leafs rumors
Peter DeBoer reached out to Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube to quell rumors that he may replace him, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on "Saturday Headlines."
DeBoer's note, which was sent through an intermediary, told Berube to ignore the noise, that DeBoer hasn't been involved with the Maple Leafs, and he isn't taking his job, according to Friedman.
Toronto's staff has been under pressure during a lackluster season that saw the Maple Leafs rank second last in the Eastern Conference at the holiday break. Assistant coach Marc Savard was fired Dec. 22, with Toronto's power play ranking last in the NHL.
DeBoer is the highest-profile coach without a team. The ex-Dallas Stars bench boss has reached the conference finals in six of the last seven years in which he's coached across stints with the Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks. He was fired in June when Dallas lost to the Edmonton Oilers in five games, after which he controversially singled out goaltender Jake Oettinger.
The 57-year-old will be an assistant coach for Canada's men's Olympic hockey team in February.
Last year, Berube guided the Maple Leafs to an Atlantic Division title and the second round of the playoffs in his first season with the team. He won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Berube's Blues beat DeBoer's Sharks in the Western Conference Final en route to winning the Cup.
DeBoer has reached the Stanley Cup Final twice and the conference finals eight times in his head coaching career. He's yet to win the Stanley Cup.