Craig Berube critiques Artem Zub's hit on John Tavares: Concerns over head safety

With heated games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, some incidents involving Artem Zub and John Tavares created a lot of talk. Zub hit Tavares near the end of the game, which sidelined the Leafs forward for at least some time during overtime. He did return later, but Berube expressed his condemnations of the hit, calling it dangerous. Berube's comments stood in contrast to the lack of a call on Zub, and they question the judgment of the farthest player, Tavares.


Head coach Craig Berube's reaction to Artem Zub's hit on John Tavares



This particular hit occurred late in the third period of Saturday's game. With Zub skating in front and the puck far from Tavares' reach, some suggest the impact was made with both a shoulder and an elbow in conjunction. The hit downed Tavares, who remained slow to recover. He pushed himself back to the bench and down to the dressing room for further evaluation.

John Tavares on the Artem Zub hit in Game 4:

“Probably pretty obvious what happened on that play. Puck was nowhere near me.”

Berube added: “I didn’t like the hit. Puck’s nowhere near him. Looked like a headshot to me.” pic.twitter.com/UfXtgWzOez

— Anna Dua (@AnnaNoelleDua) April 28, 2025

After medical treatment, Tavares returned but was not happy with the hit. "Pretty obvious what happened on the play," he remarked. "Puck’s nowhere near me. But just move on from it. Go out there and keep competing and trust that the refs are going to make the right calls."


While Tavares made his return to the bench, Berube stated his disagreement with the impact. "I don't like the hit," Berube noted. His words mirrored the sentiments of many upset fans about the non-calling of a penalty or supplemental punishment to Zub. Berube's comments emphasize increasing frustration within the NHL regarding safety and head-check incidents.


Tavares' condition and Game 5 expectations


John Tavares was an important player for the Maple Leafs, scoring three goals and two assists in this series. He pointed out that his exit from the game had been ordered by a concussion spotter and that he had been tested right there. The subsequent absence from the game was unfortunate for Tavares, since the Maple Leafs took a 3-1 series lead until that point, eventually losing Game 4 after Jake Sanderson netted the game-winner with just over two minutes remaining.

Tavares is assumed to be back on the ice, ready for Game 5 in Toronto on Tuesday. Playoff matchups will surely have player safety, and the case of Zub featured prominently. Thus, the issue of player protection draws focus again in these Stanley Cup playoffs of 2025, with infractions such as that on Artem Zub and John Tavares surfacing once again.


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Tavares has moved on, but Craig Berube's words show how tension has ramped up over discussing these controversial hits. As the Maple Leafs look to finish the series in Game 5, both teams will watch closely to see how the NHL administers discipline and punishment for further incidents of this nature.