ST. LOUIS – Blues fans welcomed back former head coach Craig Berube in full force on Saturday, treating him to a lengthy, heartfelt ovation as he returned to St. Louis as an opposing coach for the first time.
Nearly 20,000 fans applauded and cheered Berube during a game break in the Blues’ home game Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. A social media post from the Blues showed Berube smiling and waving to the crowd during a touching video tribute.
“It will be emotional tonight for sure,” Berube told FOX 2’s Martin Kilcoyne ahead of the matchup. “Got a lot of good memories here. I’m treated really well here.”
Berube is the only head coach to lead the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup title in their 57-year history. He took over on an interim basis early in the 2018-19 campaign, turning a team that sat in last place in the Western Conference nearly midway through that season into a Stanley Cup winner.
“It will be emotional tonight, for sure.”
“(St. Louis) is a special place for me.”
Ahead of the #STLBlues game against Toronto tonight at Enterprise Center, @martinkilcoyne2 caught up with former Blues and current Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube!@FOX2now pic.twitter.com/6AivtZ8zfn— Kevin Ryans (@OfficialKevRy) November 2, 2024
Berube coached the Blues to four consecutive playoff berths from 2019-2022. He guided the franchise to a 206-132-44 regular season record before he was fired last year, although his abrupt departure was more a reflection of team performance than his deep-rooted connections with the Blues organization and its fanbase.
“It’s great to be back here and see people and friends,” said Berube. “It’s a special place for me. I made a lot of good friends here with people in the organization and players. It will always be special.”
“The people are great here and very passionate about their sports. I’ve made a lot of good friends here.”
Berube’s 206 wins are the third-most for a head coach in Blues history.
On a star-studded Maple Leafs team with Auston Mathews and Mitch Marner, among others, Berube is off to a respectable 6-4-1 start this season. The Blues earned bragging rights over their former coach earlier this season, winning their first head-to-head matchup against him since his departure with a decisive 5-1 victory in Toronto.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
