Sheldon Keefe was terrified of benching Mitchell Marner: what really happened?

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Julien Trekker
June 13, 2024 (11:14)

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A new report confirmed that when he was still head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe was terrified of benching Mitchell Marner.

While most NHL stars want to be treated like anyone else on the team, some players deserve particular attention.

In Toronto, the number of star players is impressive, and as any good coach does, they don't coach their players the same way.

Over the years, anyone who followed the Maple Leafs closely can say that Mitch Marner is closer to his emotions than Auston Matthews or William Nylander are.

We just have to go back to the past playoffs, where Nylander and Matthews were completely off about Marner's antics at the bench:

Sheldon Keefe felt Mitch Marner's sensitivity and decided to treat him differently than William Nylander

Differences in the way you treat players are crucial, and Keefe looked like he was handling it well.

He wasn't afraid to bench Nylander for a few shifts when things weren't going well for him, but Marner was almost never benched for his performances, despite struggling at times.

Yesterday, Elliotte Friedman said on Leafs Morning Take that Keefe was harder on Nylander than he was on Marner because he felt Marner was more sensitive than other players:

"Keefe was hard on Nylander, but I think Keefe was very careful when it came to Marner. He felt Marner's sensitivity at times."

Will Craig Berube be able to hold Mitch Marner accountable and bring out the best in him next season?

Toronto is definitely one of the toughest markets to play in the NHL, and it won't get easier anytime soon.

With Craig Berube being hired as head coach, Marner can expect another tough season if he struggles. Berube is renowned for getting the best out of his players and holding them accountable for their mistakes. Unless he's ordered by management to give Marner special treatment, or the team decides to trade the forward, Berube surely won't go so easy on Marner next season.

Do you think Sheldon Keefe made a mistake by giving a special treatment to Mitch Marner?

Source: Maple Leafs Daily
Sheldon Keefe reportedly afraid of what would happen if he benched Marner