Less than two weeks after losing his job as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe has landed with a new club.
The team has yet to confirm, but a flurry of reports emerged on May 22 that Keefe has been hired as the next head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Brian McGonagle of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast was the first to report the news, later confirmed by Darren Dreger of TSN and Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, among others.
The Devils are expected to make the hire official on May 23, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who also reported that Keefe’s new contract with New Jersey would be for four years.
Devils expected to make the Sheldon Keefe hire official tomorrow.
Keefe had a two-year extension kicking in with the Leafs next season but the Devils ripped that up and signed him to a fresh four-year deal (hint, got a raise over what the 2-year extension would have paid).
Sheldon Keefe Dismissed by Maple Leafs After Years of Postseason Struggles
Keefe coached the Maple Leafs to a 212-97-40 record in 349 regular-season games over six seasons. Toronto recorded three consecutive 100-point seasons under Keefe, including a team-record 115-point season in 2021-22.
Despite their consistent success in the regular season, however, Keefe’s Maple Leafs struggled in the postseason. Toronto made the playoffs in all five seasons with Keefe at the helm but advanced past the first round only one time. That playoff series win came in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and was the first for Toronto since 2004.
Keefe was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs on May 9, less than a week after the team lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He has since been replaced in Toronto by Craig Berube, the former head coach of the St. Louis Blues. In a video posted on X, Keefe took responsibility for Toronto’s Round 1 elimination this year and thanked the fans in Toronto.
Thank you, Leafs Nation 💙✌️
“Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said in a statement on Keefe’s firing. “We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best.”
Keefe Tasked With Managing Devils’ Elite Young Talent
Per Emily Kaplan of ESPN, New Jersey was considered “one of the hottest coaching vacancies” in the NHL this offseason, likely due to the Devils’ young, highly skilled core consisting of players like 23-year-old Jack Hughes, 25-year-old Nico Hischier, 25-year-old Jesper Bratt and 20-year-old Luke Hughes.
New Jersey was one of the hottest coaching vacancies and I’m told Sheldon Keefe was NJ’s top candidate once he became available.
NJ liked Keefe’s communication & ability to work w/ other departments. The Devils also loved Keefe’s experience in Toronto working with a young core.
Kaplan pointed to Keefe’s experience in Toronto working with elite young players such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander as one of the qualities making him an apparent fit for the Devils.
Keefe is set to succeed Travis Green, who was coaching the Devils on an interim basis following the firing of head coach Lindy Ruff in March.
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Devils Set to Hire Ex-Maple Leafs Boss as New Head Coach: Reports