craig berube injury what happened

Craig Berube recently showed up with a nasty-looking head injury caused by an accident in the gym, resulting in a long cut on his head and a black eye, but he has emphasized that he is fine and still coaching.

What happened to Craig Berube?

• Berube, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, suffered a gym accident that left a large gash running across the top of his head and down his forehead, plus a swollen black eye.

• The cut was serious enough to require around a dozen stitches and was clearly visible when he met the media before a Leafs game in late January 2026.

• He described it as a “stupid” or “bad” accident and repeatedly said it was his own fault, but he did not give specific details about exactly what went wrong in the gym.

• When asked if it involved lifting weights, he joked “Yeah, something like that,” and refused to elaborate, saying nobody needed to know the full story.

• Despite the dramatic appearance, he insisted he felt fine, with no concussion symptoms, and continued his normal coaching duties, including being behind the bench that same night.

How bad was the injury?

• Visually, it looked brutal: reporters described a “horrifying” or “gnarly” cut covering his forehead, along with a pronounced black eye, making him look like he’d been in a fight.

• The wound needed multiple stitches on the top of his head, and the swelling around his eye added to the shock factor when cameras picked it up.

• However, Berube downplayed the seriousness, saying it was more of an ugly cut than a dangerous health issue and stressing he was “all good” and “fine.”

Why is everyone talking about it?

• The timing made it extra visible: the injury showed up right before a high-profile Leafs game, so photos and clips spread quickly across hockey media and social platforms.

• Fans immediately linked it to his old-school enforcer reputation, joking that he looked like he’d just stepped out of a 1990s NHL fight rather than a modern-day gym.

• Online discussions and videos have tried to “figure out” exactly what equipment or mishap could have caused that kind of gash, but these breakdowns are speculative fan/influencer theories, not confirmed details.

What has Berube said about it?

• He has kept the tone light, quipping “the other guy looks way worse” and saying there were “three of them,” clearly leaning into the tough-guy humor.

• At the same time, he’s framed it as a foolish moment: a bad gym accident, totally on him, something he doesn’t want to turn into an ongoing storyline.

• He also mentioned that his players mostly laughed at it, treating it as a sign of their coach’s toughness rather than a major concern.

Bottom line

• Cause: Accidental gym injury (exact mechanism not publicly revealed).
• Visible result: Long stitched cut on head plus black eye, very noticeable on camera.

• Status: No serious health issue reported, he has continued coaching as usual and says he feels fine.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.