Berube brings excitement to bench

Domi eager to learn from someone with 'same values' as dad

- KEVIN MCGRAN

Marc Savard, who led the Flames’ 25th-ranked power play last season, had more success with the Blues under Craig Berube, when their power play was third.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube didn’t let it bother him the day his coffee date with Mitch Marner was photographed by a fan and posted to social media.

It might have been his welcome-to-Toronto moment, where everything at any time can be blown out of proportion.

“It’s not surprising at all,” Berube said recently. “To be honest with you, I’d forgotten about it already. There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m focused on talking to the player. That’s it. Things happen.”

Of course, he had a taste of how things work in Toronto during half a season with Leafs in 1991-92, part of a 1,054-game playing career.

“I got a good feel back then for it. And I loved playing here for a short time,” Berube said. “I’m really looking forward to coaching here. I mean, it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs, an Original Six team, the fan base. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

At the time Berube met Marner, there was all kinds of wild speculation the star forward would be traded as the fan base seemed to focus its anger at another early elimination from the playoffs on one player.