It is new territory for both the New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs when puck drops on Thursday night. Sheldon Keefe is facing off against his former club for the first time after being dismissed on May 9, and he has nothing but love, positivity and candid self-reflection ahead of tonight’s game, before his competitive spirit will surely take over sentiment.
Keefe spoke to ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski in a profile where he detailed his experiences with the Maple Leafs and took responsibility for the team’s lack of playoff success under his supervision. Ahead of Thursday’s game, Keefe met with the travelling reporters and spoke glowingly about his former comrades.
“I got nothing but love and respect to the people on the other side,” Keefe said Thursday morning via TSN’s Mark Masters. “I do think the team is in a really good place. Love the moves that (Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving) made in the off-season. The team is as good as it’s ever been and I wish them nothing but the best.”
Keefe posted a cumulative 212-97-40 record as head coach of the Maple Leafs and was lauded for his work with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies before graduating to the NHL. He was promptly hired by the Devils on May 23, and his team is unbeaten through the opening week of the regular season, defeating the Buffalo Sabres twice as part of the NHL Global Series to begin the year.
“I don’t know if it will be an emotional night because I’ve never coached against a team that I’ve been associated with in the past,” Keefe said via NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale. “I like to believe that I’m focused and content enough with where I’m at that I’m not too concerned about anything else outside of the task of competing against one of the league’s top teams.”
In the profile with ESPN, Keefe reflected on his disappointment that he was unable to steer the Maple Leafs to greater postseason success during his tenure with the club.
“I started in what many would describe as the most difficult and challenging environment in the league — and many coaches in this league have reminded me of that,” Keefe said. “I leave there forever disappointed in myself that I wasn’t able to help push that team over the line. But I know I’m a better coach, and a better person, having gone through it.”
It was a tough set of circumstances for Keefe. He posted a tremendous win-loss record during the regular season and on paper, you could make a case that he got a lot of a Maple Leafs team that finished the regular season with a league-best 200 goals at 5-on-5 in 2023-24. Ultimately, Keefe ran out of time and answers but he’s been afforded a fresh start and during the first week of the season, he is focal point of Thursday’s game, until the action begins.
