Sheldon Keefe compliments Brad Treliving during introduction with Devils

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Graham Montgomery
May 29, 2024 (10:17 PM)

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Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was introduced as the Devils next coach yesterday but he clearly has no hard feelings towards the Leafs.

This comes after Leafs general manager Brad Treliving let Keefe go after the team lost game seven to the Boston Bruins in the first round this year. It was the fourth time in his five years as head coach of the team that the Leafs had lost in the first round.

However, Treliving made it clear that the move was about getting a new voice in the room rather than punishing Keefe for not being good enough. He actually defended the job Keefe did even after letting him go.

Love this sound bite of Brad Treliving defending Sheldon Keefe. This was about a new voice, new leadership. Often a Head Coach is fired and moves on to a new Head Coaching job and is successful. There are many examples of this in the NHL.

Keefe returned the favor in his introductory press conference with the Devils. He made it clear that he has no hard feelings towards Treliving, or anyone else in the organization. As such, it seems like the decision was mutual.

"I have a lot of love for people, both players and staff in the organization in Toronto. It's exciting for a new opportunity."

#NJDevils head coach Sheldon Keefe joins Hayes, Noodles and O-Dog to discuss his new tenure behind the bench in New Jersey.

Now the Devils find themselves asking questions the Leafs have been in recent years. Can Sheldon Keefe get this team into the playoffs again?

That much seems pretty reasonable. The team should be good enough next season to at least get in. However, whether or not they will make a serious run is up in the air. Hopefully for the Devils, things work out despite his lack of playoff success in Toronto.

Sheldon Keefe couldn't get a star-studded team over the hump in Toronto. His job in New Jersey? Getting a star-studded team over the hump. Here's hoping he learned something from his last gig as he takes charge of the Devils. Column:

Source: MapleLeafsDaily
Sheldon Keefe surprisingly complimentary of Brad Treliving after being fired.