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JUST IN: Sheldon Keefe paraphrases a fellow NHL coach’s subtle jab at the Toronto Maple Leafs: “I guess I should rejoice that I finally get to coach in…
Sheldon Keefe, the recently named coach of the New Jersey Devils, had a difficult time before leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs relieved Keefe of his duties earlier this month.
Keefe told the Toronto Star over the phone that he had a strong gut feeling he was going to be fired and that he anticipated it. Following the Toronto Maple Leafs’ elimination by the Boston Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs, a decision was reached.
At this point, Sheldon Keefe has moved on and is eager to start over with a new company. Keefe is still appreciative of the chance to work for the Maple Leafs, even though numerous seasoned coaches have disparaged the team’s work in letters to him.
“It was a tremendous honor to coach the Maple Leafs,” he remarked (via Toronto Star).
“A lot of factors go into that. Many reputable coaches in the league have contacted me and told me that now that I’m coaching in the NHL, I should be pleased.
Toronto is very different from the other teams in the league. Keefe took a moment along Lake Ontario to thank the players, the team, and the supporters for their support over his five seasons as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
About a week ago, the New Jersey Devils made the announcement that Sheldon Keefe would succeed Lindy Ruff as coach following the team’s midseason dismissal due to postseason failure.
GM Tom Fitzgerald formally unveiled Keefe as the new face behind the Devils’ coaching bench on Tuesday. Extend Tweet Players with the Toronto Maple Leafs thanked Sheldon Keefe Keefe noted that he had a number of messages from players when he left the Toronto Maple Leafs.
These players included members of the team from prior seasons as well as players who had since moved on to other organizations.Keefe said that having so many people reach out and provide their support and encouragement was a good experience for him.
“Received numerous messages from players, including those from previous seasons, players who have moved on to other teams, and staff members, in addition to players on this season’s team,” Keefe stated.
“Just having that many people reach out to me was a fairly fantastic experience for me. Sheldon Keefe was named head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. He was the team’s starting bench coach for five seasons, winning 349 games with a record of 212-97-40.
Furthermore, under Keefe, the Leafs qualified for the playoffs every season and only made it as far as the second round, where they were eliminated by the Florida Panthers, in the previous campaign.
