The scouting report on new Wolves coach Craig Berube is about as simple as they come. General manager Wendell Young said players will know exactly where they stand.
“He has that presence that guys are going to know they have to work hard every shift,” Young said Wednesday, when Berube was hired. “I think he brings instant accountability as a coach and as a person. He brings that with his presence, he brings that with his coaching.”
Berube, a former enforcer, played for the Flyers, Maple Leafs, Flames, Capitals and Islanders during his 17-year NHL career. He coached the Flyers for two seasons, compiling a 75-58-28 regular-season record before being fired after the 2015 season.
Berube replaces John Anderson, who coached the Wolves for 14 of their 22 years in existence and guided them to four championships. The Wolves failed to make the playoffs last season, going 33-35-8 and finishing in sixth place in the AHL’s Central Division.
Earlier this month, Berube interviewed to be an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues, the Wolves’ parent club.
Young, who played with Berube with the Flyers in the late 1980s, said Berube will have a hand in hiring a coaching staff and will begin to formulate a plan for the Wolves once the roster takes shape this summer.
But given the way Berube played, Young knows what to expect from the team.
“He worked for everything he got [as a player],” Young said. “So players like that, they appreciate hard work, whether you’re really skilled or you’re one of the lower-skilled guys on the team. There’s one thing that’s controllable, how hard you work, and that’s what you expect.
“Players are going to make mistakes, but it’s the hard work you have to be accountable for, and he brings that to the table.”
Fire part ways with Gilberto
The Fire and Gilberto agreed to terminate the forward’s contract. He hasn’t appeared in a game in nearly a month and had been dealing with personal issues.
“Despite his best efforts, Gilberto was not able to reach his top form in Major League Soccer,” Fire general manager Nelson Rodríguez said in an statement. “He is a good person with a big heart and a passion for the game, and we hope he finds success at his next stop.”
The Fire signed Gilberto as a designated player in 2015 after being claimed off waivers. Last season, he had five goals and two assists in 10 games. He has only two assists in nine games this season.
Follow me on Twitter @JeffArnold_.
