NHL Head Coaches With Ties to the NY Islanders After Maple Leafs Hire Craig Berube

With the Toronto Maple Leafs failing to advance to the second round for the 18th time in the last 19 seasons, the organization decided to move on from Sheldon Keefe as head coach.

On Friday, the Leafs announced they'd hired the 2019 Stanley Cup winner with the St. Louis Blues, Craig Berube.

With Berube's signing, seven head coaches in the NHL have ties to the NY Islanders at some point in their career, whether as a player or a coach. Here are those eight coaches and their connections with the Islanders.

Craig Berube, Toronto Maple Leafs

Berube's time with the Islanders was short, acquired from the Washington Capitals midway through the 2000-01 season for a 9th-round pick. Berube played 38 games for the Islanders under head coach Butch Goring, registering two assists and 54 penalty minutes.

Luke Richardson, Chicago Blackhawks

Appointed head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2022-23 season, Luke Richardson spent one season as an Islanders assistant coach in 2017-18, in what was a wacky season. The Islanders were juggernauts on the offensive end under head coach Doug Weight, but couldn't keep the puck out of their own net. Richardson, along with the rest of the coaching staff were let go at the end of the season after the hiring of Lou Lamoriello.

Greg Cronin, Anaheim Ducks

Greg Cronin spent 11 seasons with the Islanders across two stints. The first began in 1998 as an assistant coach under Lorne Henning. He'd remain with the organization after Henning's departure in the same assistant coach role under two more head coaches, Goring and Peter Laviolette. In 2003 he became the head coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, while also assuming the role of Director of Player Development. He'd leave the organization in 2005, accepting the head coaching job at Northeastern University. Cronin returned to the Islanders as an assistant coach in 2014 under Jack Capuano. He'd last four seasons behind the Islanders bench before being fired along with the rest of Weight's staff. This past season was his first in the NHL as a head coach.