Date: November 14, 2025
Source: Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube)
Following Friday’s practice, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube addressed the media to discuss Joseph Woll’s return, the team’s confidence, leadership expectations for William Nylander, and the mindset needed to push through adversity. Berube also shared what he liked about the team’s practice habits and provided updates on several injured players.
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On Whether Joseph Woll Will Start Tomorrow
“Yeah, I’m not sure yet, but thinking about it definitely.”
On Woll’s Progress and Return
“Well, we haven’t seen him that much. He’s same old Joe to me in practice from what I see. He’s a hard worker. He looks good in net. He went down and played a couple games with the Marlies, which is good getting into game action, but he seems normal to me and ready to go.”
On What Woll’s Return Means to the Team
“Well, it means a lot to the team. Him leaving at that point was a surprise and obviously caught everybody off guard, but he was a big part of our team last year.”
On the Tone He Wanted to Set in Practice
“Solutions. We did some of that before last game. I like some of the things we worked on and just more of the same today. We’re defending too much. We need the puck more. We need to advance it more and get more play in the offensive zone.”
On the Team’s Effort in Practice
“I thought the guys worked. They had pretty good energy out there, which is good. Things aren’t good right now. A lot of times you can come in today with practice and everybody’s hanging their heads and going through the motions. I didn’t see that today, which is good. We had energy. The guys worked hard. They did what we asked them to do and we’re just trying to reinforce things.”
On Easton Cowan and Goaltending Depth
“I’ve liked Cowan this year too. I think he’s given us some really good games up here. It was just a move that was made for roster reasons, but he’s back. I thought he looked really good out there today and we’re excited to have Woll back too.”
On What He Wants from William Nylander as a Leader
“I think more. He’s shown it, and he’s shown it in the room too. On the ice, just a little bit more consistency. There’s a lot of good he does, but then it’s a little bit inconsistent. So consistency — staying with it and working. You get into these situations as a team and individuals and you’ve got to work your way out of it. That’s how you get your confidence back.
We’re at adversity right now. What are we going to do? Go through that adversity. Go through that wall. Find a way to get through it. Climb over the wall. Whatever it is, you’ve got to push your way through it as a team and every individual.”
On the Team Meeting in Boston
“It wasn’t a day off. It was a travel day. We were traveling after back-to-back games. So when we got into Boston, I wanted to have a meeting after the weekend.”
On Media Pressure in Toronto vs Other Markets
“Well, you can answer that question for yourself, can’t you?
Obviously, there’s a lot more media here and the Leafs are a huge part of hockey in the NHL and in Canada. There’s a lot more talk and a lot more noise. We discussed that today too. The noise is there. You guys are doing your job. A lot of people are going to talk and the Leafs are big, so there’s going to be a lot of talk.
You’ve got to shut that off the best you can and focus on what you need to do night in and night out. Practice every day. Try to focus. That’s the nature of the beast.”
Injury Updates
“Auston will be a week. I talked to you guys about that. Anthony is still day-to-day. Carlo and Knies were maintenance today. Nothing really new on Tanev. Trending in the right direction, but it’s going to be a bit. I don’t know how long yet.”
On Balancing Critique with Positivity
“It is a balancing act, but you’ve got to do both. You’ve got to keep teaching and improving on mistakes, but at the same time there’s good stuff too and you try to instill confidence that way. You can’t just go away from mistakes and not try to correct them. That’s not going to do anything.”
Pulse Takeaway
Berube emphasized urgency, structure, and pushing through adversity. Woll’s return brings stability and optimism, while the message to the team — and to Nylander specifically — is clear: work through the struggles, play with confidence, and keep advancing the puck to reduce time defending. The Leafs showed energy in practice, and Berube believes consistent habits will help them break out of this stretch.
Quotes from Craig Berube via Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube). Used for analysis and commentary.
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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