Getty Assistant coach Craig Berube of the Philadelphia Flyers watches warmups prior to the game against the Boston Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center on March 30, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Back in November, Craig Berube was an emergency fill-in at head coach for the St. Louis Blues. The former assistant replaced Mike Yeo after a 7-9-3 start to the season, culminating in a 2-0 blanking at the hands of the Kings.
All that is a distant memory. Berube guided the franchise to its first Stanley Cup Finals since 1970, earning a spot as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award along the way. The Blues are currently skating against the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins in Game 1 at TD Garden.
Craig, still an interim coach, has been married to Rebecca Berube since the mid-90s. According to a 1995 article from the Washington Post, they were newly married at the time.
Yes, he says he doesn’t take the game home with him any more, to his new wife, Rebecca; to his two black Labs, Jack and Sheba; to his little kitten, Calahoo, named after his hometown. He uses his energy positively, he says, by fixing things around the house, doing yard work. And in the summer, he’s on a golf course “every day.”
The couple have three children: two sons named Jake and Nashota and a daughter named Charlotte. The name Nashota means “twins” in a Native American language according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Craig is of First Nation origin.
The 49-year old Rebecca Bricker was born December 25, 1969. Her parents are former Neshaminy High School track coach Bob Bricker and Lynda Feeney.
As far as Craig goes, his efforts this season likely mean he and Rebecca are sticking around in St. Louis for awhile. Let’s take a look at his job security.
Craig Berube Head Coaching Status
Now it’s the Blues turn at Stanley Cup Final Media Day. Coach Craig Berube and GM Doug Armstrong on the podium.
According to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, the interim tag is only a technicality after his success this season. Back in early May, he said that his only choice for head coach is Berube. A link to the clip can be found here.
According to Bleedin’ Blue, Armstrong has been blown away by Berube’s ability to give his players the guidance needed to win.
“I learned quite a bit working with Craig,” said Armstrong. “I think working in management, you look around and you read and you try to take things from other businesses outside of sport with Gen Z and Gen X and all that and you’re trying to understand what makes these younger players tick. In reality, what I learned from Craig is they’re hockey players. They want to be coached. They want to be treated honestly, respectfully and held accountable.”
“My vision was we were always trying to create something that really wasn’t necessary,” Armstrong continued. “These are hockey players and whether it was the 80’s, 90’s or today, they just want to be coached.”
Expect a contract to be official in the ensuing weeks after the Finals wraps up.