Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach
Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach

Ahead of Monday’s game against the Dallas Stars, head coach Craig Berube discussed Ryan Tverberg’s NHL debut, Morgan Rielly’s commitment to Toronto, Matthew Knies’ season, and the final home game of the 2025-26 season.

Ryan Tverberg, set to make his NHL debut tonight, is a good story, given how far he’s come as a former seventh-round pick.

Berube: For sure. He had that injury a couple of years ago. He has worked his way back and has had a really good season down there. We’re excited to get him into a game. It is deserved. He’s worked hard and has come back to contribute down there. He’s been a good player down there for those guys. We’re excited to have him in.

It is a great story, right? He’s super excited to get into his first game in the NHL, as he should be.

What do you know about his particular game?

Berube: Well, he’s got speed. He is a tenacious player. He has some skill, but his speed and tenacity are what drive him, more than anything.

Joe Bowen is calling the final home game before his retirement. What have you made of his career?

Berube: Great career, with the voice and how he announces the games and has his own style. If you go through the guys over the years, they stand out to you. Growing up, for me, watching the Montreal Canadiens and listening to Danny Gallivan — it’s guys like that. He is in that category. They create their own identity in how they do things and how they call games. He is one of the best and one of the greats. Love him.

It is game #950 for Morgan Rielly, and all of them have been spent with the Leafs. What does it mean to him to be a Maple Leaf?

Berube: Everything. He has been here a long time. He loves it here. I don’t think he can think about being anywhere else, personally, after being drafted here and playing here this long for this many games. He has been a staple here for a long time. It would be hard for him to think about not being a Leaf.

Tverberg mentioned that he trains with Rielly in the summer and has learned from him. What have you noticed about Rielly’s leadership?

Berube: He is a vocal guy in the room. From a leadership standpoint, he sees the game extremely well. He communicates well. He is one of the guys who, if you’re a young guy who wants to know something or to ask somebody something, you’d seek out and talk to him about things. He’s a really good human being and has been a great teammate for a long time.

It has been a bit of a grind for Matthew Knies physically this season, but the offensive numbers are there. What have you liked about what he’s brought this season, and what can he take away from this year?

Berube: He has been grinding this year with the injury. I’ve got to give him credit for fighting through it the whole season. It is not easy to do. It gets annoying, more than anything, that he is feeling this way. But that is the grind, right? You aren’t always going to feel great. You’ve got to find a way to get through it, and he has done that. I’ll give him credit for that.

He has had a pretty good year with the numbers. Scoring is down from last year a little bit as far as goals, but as I said, it has been a grind for him all year.

How badly do you and the team want to get a win in the final home game, for the fans’ sake?

Berube: I want to win every game. I think it is important that we go out, play well, compete, do things right, and get a win here at home.

Do you think the team will be motivated to give rookie goaltender Artur Akhtyamov a better effort than in his first game?

Berube: Yeah, for sure. We loved how he battled in that game. The kid has an unreal demeanour. He is a guy you get attracted to because of his personality and how he presents and carries himself. Our guys will be fired up to play hard in front of him.

Morning Skate Lines – Apr. 13

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