Connor McDavid has played for five coaches in his nine NHL seasons.

He鈥檚 watched four walk out the door.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard,鈥� the Edmonton Oilers captain said of a bench boss getting fired. 鈥淧rofessional sports, people sometimes forget the human side of it. There鈥檚 a relationship there.

鈥淭hese are people with families and it鈥檚 hard.鈥�

It鈥檚 also a part of the high-stakes game.

But how does the relationship change between a player, especially one in the leadership group like McDavid, who experienced Jay Woodcroft鈥檚 dismissal last month after a disastrous start to the season, and a former coach when the dust settles?

These are people often in communication 鈥� meetings, calls, texts 鈥� on a daily basis in search of the right formula for success. Then all of a sudden, one is not longer around.

The St. Louis Blues were the third team to make a coaching change this season when they fired Craig Berube, who led the team to its 2019 Stanley Cup victory, on Tuesday night.

New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said those types of connections don鈥檛 just evaporate.

鈥淵ou care about the guy, he cares about you 鈥� it鈥檚 over like that,鈥� said Trouba, who waved goodbye to Gerard Gallant when he was handed his pink slip in May. 鈥淵ou call him and wish him well. I still talk to former coaches.鈥�

He added there鈥檚 a lot more than just a working relationship in many instances.

鈥淵ou build friendships in a way,鈥� Trouba said. 鈥淲e go through a lot ups and downs. Going to the conference final with (Gallant in 2022), we have a lot of great memories. He鈥檚 not someone out of your life and gone forever.

鈥淗e was the coach when I was named captain. I鈥檒l always remember these things and it will always be a part of my career. That鈥檚 not something you just push out the door and forget about.鈥�

That can also go for general managers.

Kyle Dubas, who was fired as general manager by the Maple Leafs in May, was instrumental in bringing John Tavares home to Toronto in free agency.

And it was on his watch Tavares became captain.

鈥淲e exchanged messages when the change happened,鈥� said the player. 鈥淏ut definitely hard to put it all into context in just a few words. It鈥檚 a lot to take in 鈥� usually some time passes.鈥�

Dubas was a hands-on executive. He was there when Tavares suffered a gruesome injury in the 2021 playoffs, and kept his family up-to-date in those anxious moments after he was stretchered off the ice.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be a strong relationship between him and myself and other guys he had a big influence on,鈥� Tavares said. 鈥淎s time goes on, there鈥檚 more appreciation, more understanding.鈥�

Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly said he spoke with Dubas, who quickly joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as their president of hockey operations, following the stunning change.

鈥淚鈥檝e probably felt that with him leaving more than I have in the past,鈥� Rielly said. 鈥淛ust part of the business.鈥�

But not all situations and relationships are the same.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice doesn鈥檛 tend to stay in touch with former players.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a connector or an over-communicator,鈥� he said. 鈥淪end me a text, you鈥檒l get an answer five days later. I don鈥檛 stay in contact with a lot of them. They鈥檙e all fine. They didn鈥檛 need me at the start. I coached them, and when I left they were fine, too.

鈥淎ctually probably a little happier.鈥�

Seattle Kraken GM and Hall of Famer Ron Francis said players feel a level of guilt when a coach takes the fall.

鈥淒idn鈥檛 get the job done and that鈥檚 what cost him his job,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody goes into this knowing you can be traded or fired at any point.

鈥淣ature of the beast.鈥�

It doesn鈥檛 make any easier.

鈥淒efinitely takes a toll,鈥� McDavid said. 鈥淏ut just makes you cherish those moments that you have with your teammates and your coaches all the more.鈥�

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