The Toronto Maple Leafs experienced more regular season success under Sheldon Keefe over the last five seasons than practically any coach in the franchise’s 107-year history. Yet, after another early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Leafs were ready to move on. Keefe was fired May 9.
A mere two weeks later, the New Jersey Devils announced Keefe as their new head coach Monday.
“This is an exciting time, and I’m honored to be a member of the Devils organization,” . “To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me.”did wayne gretzky get drafted
The Devils have fallen on hard times since their run to the Stanley Cup Finals under Peter DeBoer in 2012. The team has since qualified for the playoffs only twice, winning their only series last year under Lindy Ruff.
New Jersey got off to a 30-27-4 start under Ruff this year, then with former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green in March. Things only got worse from there for New Jersey, which went 8-12-1 under Green and finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division, missing the playoffs altogether.
The Devils have nowhere to go but up, and now they have a fairly accomplished head coach guiding the path.
“This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them,” Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald . “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration, and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender.”new jersey devils custom jerseys new era
Keefe comes with the background of having succeeded — to a point — in hockey’s most intense media market. The Maple Leafs have had only one more successful head coach in their history by winning percentage, and Frank Carroll’s 15-9-0 record came in 1920-21 — a different era altogether.
with a higher winning percentage in history than Keefe (.648).
But those wins, losses, and ties were compiled in the regular season. Toronto, which has not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, demands more of its teams than perhaps any fan base.
The Maple Leafs won seven playoff rounds in six seasons under Pat Quinn from 1998-04, but have come nowhere close to reaching the Finals under five head coaches since. Craig Berube was hired to replace Keefe on Friday.
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