The Calle Jarnkrok era with the Calgary Flames didn’t last very long, as he was acquired at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline from the expansion Seattle Kraken and helped them reach the second round before falling to the provincial rival Edmonton Oilers.
Jarnkrok then joined the Toronto Maple Leafs that summer, where he played until this current offseason; after being unable to secure an NHL contract, Jarnkrok is heading back overseas to join Brynäs IF in the Swedish Hockey League.
But he had something particular to say about Craig Berube, his former coach over the last two seasons with the Maple Leafs.
Former Calgary Flames Forward Calls Out Ex-Toronto Coach Craig Berube For Misusing Him
Jarnkrok essentially said that Berube, who was hired by the Maple Leafs in 2024 to replace the fired Sheldon Keefe, didn’t utilize his skillset properly.
“Two years ago, I couldn’t play at all. But last year, I came in and felt in really good shape. I scored goals… and then he (Craig Berube) put me in the stands. It was a little weird. At that moment, I was very surprised… I did well but wasn’t allowed to play. It was tough to motivate myself and keep going,” Jarnkrok said.
He said that while the most recent season with the Maple Leafs wasn’t the best, it was still an overall good experience playing in a hockey-mad market like Toronto.
“But it was a lot of fun playing in Toronto, even though the last year wasn’t that fun,” he said. “The whole city loves hockey.”
In his first season with the Maple Leafs, Jarnkrok scored 20 goals while skating in 23 games; he also scored once while adding two assists in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
But in the past two combined seasons, Jarnkrok skated in 75 games, scoring just seven goals with eight assists.
Calle Jarnkrok Previously Played For The Flames
Jarnkrok, who played the first several years of his NHL career with the Nashville Predators, was exposed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and claimed by the Seattle Kraken.
However, he would be flipped to the Flames at that season’s Trade Deadline; he registered four assists in 17 regular season games in Calgary before adding a goal with three assists in 12 playoff games.
He’s skated in 774 career NHL games, and has 143 goals with 173 assists.
Ex-Flames Forward Calls Out Former Coach After Returning Overseas