Brutal scar: What happened to this NHL coach?

In the NHL, the brutal injury of a star coach is currently the number one topic of conversation.

26 January 2026

From: det

Scars are as much a part of ice hockey as a hard boarding or missing teeth. But what Toronto coach Craig Berube is currently sporting on his forehead is enough to make even the most hardened hockey fans gasp. The experienced NHL coach appeared in last Saturday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights with a serious injury.

Berube sported a horseshoe-shaped scar several centimeters thick on his head. And so, after the game, the number one topic of conversation wasn't Toronto's 3-6 defeat, but rather this brutal-looking injury. As Berube explained at the press conference, the accident happened in the gym.

This is what Berube looked like before the accident. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / CLAUS ANDERSEN

"The other guy looks much worse. There were three of them," the coach joked, but then explained seriously: "It was simply a bad accident. It's my fault and I'm okay. I'm not going to say anything more about it. Nobody needs to know."

The wound on his forehead required stitches, and his eye was badly swollen. Despite this, Berube was on the bench for the game against Vegas and did his job. It seems that not only the players, but also the coaches in ice hockey are tough.