Long-Timers: Craig Berube

In the 102-year history of the National Hockey League, 348 individuals have played 1,000 or more regular season games. 44 of them, or 12.6%, have played some part of their career with the Atlanta or Calgary Flames. We call these players Long-Timers.

Let’s take a look at Craig Berube.

Berube’s career was pretty interesting. An Alberta kid, he played in the WHL for New Westminster/Kamloops and Medicine Hat. He went undrafted, but was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent.

He went pro in 1986 and worked his way up from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, becoming a full-time NHLer by 1988. He carved out a niche for himself as a physical player and a fairly consistent enforcer. He moved on from the Flyers in an off-season trade in 1991, going to Edmonton with Craig Fisher and Scott Mellanby for Dave Brown, Corey Foster and Jari Kurri. He was traded again before playing for Edmonton, going to Toronto with Grant Fuhr and Glenn Anderson for Vincent Damphousse, Peter Ing, Scott Thornton and Luke Richardson.

After half a season in Toronto, Berube was traded to Calgary in the awful Doug Gilmour trade that we named the worst trade in franchise history. Berube was useful depth for the Flames, but left following the 1992-93 season in a swap to Washington for a fifth round pick.

Berube spent the better part of six seasons with the Capitals before being traded back to the Flyers at the 1999 trade deadline. After a season and change in Philly, he signed back with the Capitals as a free agent. He spent a season in Washington before being traded to the New York Islanders to finish out that contract.

He rejoined the Flames in 2001 and spent two seasons in a depth role. He closed out his playing career with the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms, retiring from playing in 2004. After he retired, though, he joined the Phantoms coaching staff.

He spent two seasons as an assistant coach, followed by two as head coach. He was also briefly a assistant for the Flyers after a mid-season coaching change. Afterwards, he moved up and spent six seasons as a Flyers assistant, then served as head coach for part of two seasons after a mid-year coaching change. He was then hired as head coach for St. Louis’ AHL team, then was associate coach with the Blues for parts of two seasons, then became head coach after another mid-season coaching change. He led them to a Stanley Cup in 2019.

Berube was a perfectly adequate NHL player, but he’s a much better coach.