Sheldon Keefe, a former Maple Leafs coach, has been hired by the Devils to be their new head coach. In his five seasons as head coach, Keefe guided the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The New Jersey Devils have announced Sheldon Keefe as their new head coach. Keefe, who recently concluded a five-year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, expressed his excitement and honor to join the Devils’ organization. “Leading this young, dynamic team and unlocking its potential is incredibly appealing,” Keefe said. “After discussions with David, Josh, Tom, and other members of the organization, as well as my family, I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. The Devils have a rich winning history, and I’m eager to work towards bringing them back to that level.”
Keefe, 43, achieved a 212-97-40 regular-season record with the Maple Leafs, ranking fifth in franchise history for wins and first in points percentage (.665). He also became the second-fastest NHL coach to reach 200 wins, following Dan Bylsma. Under his leadership, Toronto made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all five seasons.
Keefe, who played in the NHL before coaching, was the 47th pick in the 1999 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning and appeared in 125 games between 2000 and 2003.
The Devils are coming off a season with a 38-39-5 record, finishing 10 points short of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
