Less than two weeks after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe landed a new job. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Keefe will become the new head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
LeBrun reports that Keefe will sign a four-year deal with the Devils. This is great news for the Maple Leafs, considering they will no longer be responsible for paying Keefe, who had a two-year extension kicking in with Toronto this upcoming summer.
The Devils decided to move on from head coach Lindy Ruff after going 30-27-4 in the first 64 games of the 2023-24 NHL season. Ruff led the Devils to the second round of Stanley Cup playoffs the season prior, marking the first time the franchise reached this stage since 2011–12.
The New Jersey Devils’ head coaching vacancy was considered among the most attractive in the NHL, given its talented roster led by young stars Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier. The team interviewed a number of candidates, including ex-St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, who was eventually hired by Maple Leafs, before settling on Keefe.
Sheldon Keefe was hired as the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019–20 after previously coaching their AHL affiliate Marlies. Keefe made playoffs with the Maple Leafs in every season he was in charge and compiled a 212-97-40 regular season record. However, his team lacked success in the playoffs and had only one second-round appearance.
