Calle Järnkrok didn’t get the Toronto ending he wanted, and now he’s saying so out loud.
After signing a three-year deal with SHL club Brynas to return home to Sweden for the 2026-27 season, the veteran forward looked back on his Maple Leafs years and made it clear the final stretch left a bad taste. What began with a 20-goal season in Toronto eventually faded into reduced production, less ice time and, in his view, a frustrating finish that never really gave him a fair shot.
Over his last two seasons with the Maple Leafs, Järnkrok appeared in just 75 games. His average ice time dropped from about 15 minutes a night under Sheldon Keefe to just over 11 minutes under Craig Berube.
The shooting percentage stayed steady, but the chances dried up, and so did the results. In that span, he finished with seven goals and 15 points.
In comments to hockeysverige.se, Järnkrok said he still wishes the NHL chapter had ended differently.
“I’ve had two tough years, and it feels a bit sad not to be able to finish over there the way I wanted,” stated Järnkrok, adding that his was in limbo for a bit before signing his SHL contract, debating if that was the end for him in North America.
He also pointed to Berube as the main reason things unraveled in 2025-26. Järnkrok opened that season with goals in three straight games, yet his biggest workload in that stretch was 12:04. By the sixth game, he was scratched, and after that he settled into a platoon role the rest of the way.
That decision clearly stuck with him.
“I was very surprised,” he noted. “I understand that if I don’t get to play when I score in every game like I did in the beginning…then it will be tough.
It’s the GM and the coach who decide, but it was an uphill battle. I did well but wasn’t allowed to play.
It was tough to motivate myself to keep going.”
He added, “Last year I came in and felt in really good shape, I scored goals… and then he [Berube] put me in the stands. It was a little weird.”
Even with that frustration, Järnkrok said his view of the Maple Leafs, the city and the experience itself never changed. He talked about the pressure of playing in Toronto and said that was part of the appeal.
“It was a blast playing in Toronto,” Järnkrok said in Swedish, “even if the last year wasn’t that fun. The whole city loves hockey, just like here in Gävle, and there’s a pressure that comes with that. I think that’s how everyone that plays wants it to be.”
Järnkrok finishes his NHL career with 143 goals and 316 points in 774 games over 13 seasons. Now, after the way his Toronto run ended, he’ll close out his hockey career back in Sweden.
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