Jeremy Roenick reveals Craig Berube sought revenge on him for five years after punching him in the face

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Daniel Lucente
October 31, 2024 (5:02 PM)

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Jeremy Roenick recalls a time when he sucker punched current Leafs coach Craig Berube in the face, and he sought revenge on him for five years afterward.

Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick joined the Leafs Morning Take podcast to tell his tale of hockey rivals and sweet revenge. According to him, one incident with Craig Berube sparked five years of revenge. In a very chippy tilt between Roenick's squad and that of Berube, tempers flared to a chaotic scrum of players on the ice. The referees had managed to restrain him from the fray, and Berube was part of the tangle of players created by him, but Roenick was free, and in one impulsive decision, he took that cheap shot: he sucker-punched Berube when he was helpless.

"We had a big melle 5-on-5 against Philly and the referee had Berube in his arms, I mean literally locked up and I'm free. And there's chaos everywhere and I'm like, you know, the Devil saying hit him and the Angels saying, no, don't do it... It's going to come back to haunt you well.»

- Jeremy Roenick

That's when Roenick remembered how Berube reacted, instead of immediately counterattacking, his reaction was one of chilling patience. It wasn't the instantaneous rage that such a punch would have brought, but instead, it set off a spark inside Berube to let time pass until he got even. Well, through the course of the next few seasons, Roenick and Berube continued to face each other, game after game, season after season, and each time, Berube made his intentions crystal clear to him. In fact, according to Roenick, any time the two were on the ice together, Berube would call out for a line change just to get a chance to confront him, effectively putting Roenick on notice every time they shared the rink.

Roenick and Berube's pursuit became sort of a running theme in their matchups. When Berube jumped over the boards, Roenick knew what was going to happen, and he would often skate away, steering clear to avoid the long-awaited retribution. The tenacity and focus Berube used made it clear that the score was still unsettled between them, but Roenick managed to steer clear time and again, prolonging the grudge as time went by in seasons.

It wasn't until five years later, during the 2003-04 season, that Berube finally got his chance for retribution. Then, both players were affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers organization, with Roenick playing in the NHL and Berube serving as a player-coach with the Flyers' AHL affiliate. During a combined practice between the two teams, Berube saw Roenick and knew his opportunity had finally arrived. In one smooth motion, he stepped toward Roenick like he was going to greet him and laid a hand on Roenick's shoulder, a very smooth signal that something was about to go down, after which he lay a shot right in Roenick's mouth.

"He (Berube) comes in and says what's up everybody, what's up? And I'm like, hey what's up chief? And he says, hey Jer, what's up, puts his hand on my shoulder. How you doing, Jer? Bang! And he hits me with a quick little shot right in the mouth. He goes I told you I'd get you."

- Jeremy Roenick

It took five years, but Craig Berube got his revenge and was finally able to even the score with Jeremy Roenick once and for all. To the hockey aficionado, this story is quintessential in illustrating the hard-nosed, never-say-die attitude that seems to define this sport; and in that respect, Berube's perseverance is etched into the history books of hockey forever.