Sheldon Keefe Reflects Back On His Failures With The Maple Leafs
Former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe took a moment to reflect on his shortcomings with the team as coach ahead of the Devils game on Thursday.
Given that he never found much success with the team, spare a first round victory in 2022-23, Sheldon Keefe's time with the Maple Leafs could be considered a fairly big disappointment all things considered.
Having been fired in the offseason in favor of Craig Berube, Keefe was quickly scooped up by the Devils and has enjoyed quite the favorable season thus far. Although he's been defeated twice so far by his old team, he sits comfortably with a 26-15-5 record and firmly in playoff contention.
But he also understands that what he could of accomplished in Toronto wasn't meant to be, and ahead of Thursday's game, Keefe opened up about his time and disappointment with the team.
Sheldon Keefe Holds No Regrets Even With His Failures
Keefe holds no regrets or resentment toward the Maple Leafs, and even though he may have been a bit hostile at the beginning, cooler heads have prevailed:
Looking back, I think it's been good and healthy for everyone. Chief has done a tremendous job with the team, and I feel good about where I'm at now. I'm better for all the experiences I had there-that's just the reality of this league.
You're hired to be fired. Even Chief, who won a Stanley Cup in St. Louis, was let go. It's just the nature of coaching. Still, I feel fortunate to have spent nine years in Toronto, provided stability for my family, and grown as a coach in such a great organization."
You have to give credit to Keefe for being so calm and amicable to the media, considering he was under the finest microscopes by Toronto media after every game Toronto lost, or didn't look the dominant team expected of them.
In his five seasons with the Maple Leafs, Keefe amassed a 212-97-40 record; good for a .432 winning percentage. His playoff record isn't as kind, as he went 16-21-0 and only one a singular round in 2022-23 when Toronto defeated Tampa Bay but lost to Florida in the second round.
His counterpart Craig Berube does hold one advantage over him however, being that he won a Stanley Cup though with how rough the Leafs have played lately, Keefe's odds might be a bit higher.
Keefe's success hasn't gone unnoticed this season either, as the bench boss was named in the Top 4 of a NHL.com poll for potential Jack Adams Award winners; a list Berube didn't get a placement on.
Keefe will have his chance to avenge his 0-2 record against the Maple Leafs as New Jersey heads into Keefe's old stomping grounds the Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night. The game is scheduled to start at 7pm ET.
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