After Monday’s outdoor practice in Mimico, head coach Craig Berube discussed the latest updates on his injured players and the experience of the team’s outdoor event at the Prince of Wales rink.


Practice Notes – Jan. 27


Are there any injury updates on John Tavares and the others?

Berube: They are all skating back at the rink right now, [Tavares] included. They skated already — JT, Knies, Pacioretty — with our goalies back there. I don’t believe Dewar was on the ice today. Quillan was off (the ice), too.

Was that Tavares’ first time on the ice? Is there a sense of his timeline?

Berube: No, he skated the other day, too.

Later in the week, he could be on the ice with us (at practice), but that is guessing a little bit. We have to see how he is progressing here, but he is in a good spot. I think we are going to see him with us in practice pretty soon.

What do you make of the turnout and what the outdoor practice experience was like today?

Berube: The turnout is fantastic, obviously. These fans and this support — you don’t see that too often, with the turnout we had today. The guys enjoy it. It was a great little event.

Did you play outdoor hockey a lot as a kid?

Berube: Yeah, I did. I think I started at seven or eight — or maybe nine — on an outdoor rink in Calahoo before we built an indoor rink. I forget the year they built the rink, but I was definitely on the outdoor rinks quite a bit in my area in the league we played in. There were a lot of outdoor rinks, and a lot of cold feet.

You probably don’t get much out of this from a coaching perspective, but it must have value from a team perspective.

Berube: It is great to do something like this. It is a fun day. The guys have fun with it. The support we get in Toronto is fantastic. It makes the event a lot more fun — a lot of people out here cheering hard. It is a good day for the guys, and something different from the daily grind.

What will be the standout memory of today’s experience?

Berube: I think, more than anything, the turnout. It is a lot of people who have come out to watch and enjoy this. I don’t know if they’re not working… Is school off today? What is going on?

More than anything, it is the support that we have here in Maple Leaf land.

Do you have any memories of getting up close with any of your hockey heroes as a kid?

Berube: Thinking back to my younger guys, I don’t think I met many guys, if any. Probably my first interaction with NHL players would’ve been the Oilers, and I would’ve been playing junior hockey then, living close to Edmonton and being around the area.

You watch the Oilers a lot, and I became an Oilers fan at some point. They were probably my first interaction with NHL people and players.


Brendan Shanahan on outdoor practice in Mimico: “What a full circle it’s been” 

Shanahan: It is hard not to come here and not think about my dad bringing me here in 1974-1975. It hasn’t changed that much, to be honest with you, with the inside of the dressing room. What a full circle it has been. I feel really blessed to be able to bring the Maple Leafs here.


Auston Matthews: “Always a fun event”

Matthews: It was a great time. This is always a fun event. The turnout is always great. It is a lot more fun when your (scrimmage) team wins, too. It was a nice victory for us today.

Chief said something about how the losing team has to buy us lunch, but who knows if we will ever see that.


Morgan Rielly: “Breaks up the monotony of the season”

Rielly: It is a good change in the schedule. It is a long season. It is a grind. You take practice really seriously; it is your chance to get better. But today is a lot of fun. It breaks up the monotony of the season. It is a good chance for our guys to have some fun and enjoy being outside with the fans.