Toronto Maple Leafs fire coach Sheldon Keefe after another early playoff exit
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe speaks to the media at an end of season press conference in Toronto Monday, May 6, 2024. The Maple Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup NHL hockey playoffs. Credit: AP/Chris Young
TORONTO — Sheldon Keefe is out as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, fired Thursday after another early exit from the NHL playoffs.
The move had been expected after Toronto lost to rival Boston in Game 7 last weekend, the fourth time in five years under Keefe that the team has lost in the first round. The Maple Leafs won just one playoff series since Keefe took over in November 2019.
“Today’s decision was difficult,” general manager Brad Treliving said in a statement. “Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man. However, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal.”
In a video message posted on social media, Keefe said he was forever grateful for the opportunity to coach the Maple Leafs, which he called “a dream come true for a boy from Brampton,” his home outside Toronto. He also acknowledged how the results were not exactly what he dreamed up.
“I didn’t get it done in the playoffs,” Keefe said. “I didn’t help push our team over the line and deliver. I accept responsibility for that. No excuses. That’s the job. I didn’t get it done. It’s the reality of the business, and I accept it.”
After the league's 19th coaching change since the end of the 2022-23 season, the team said the search for Keefe's replacement will begin immediately. Treliving and other members of management are expected to address reporters Friday about the coaching change and other end-of-season topics.
Keefe, 43, joined the organization in 2015 as coach of the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies thanks in large part to his junior hockey connection to then-assistant general manager Kyle Dubas, who was promoted and spent five season as GM before being fired last year. Keefe replaced Mike Babcock when Dubas fired him weeks into the 2019-20 season.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, top front right, reacts on the bench with, from bottom left to right, Calle Jarnkrok, Pontus Holmberg and Ryan Reaves during third-period action against the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Toronto, Saturday, April 27, 2024. Credit: AP/Frank Gunn
What followed were some excellent regular seasons and trips to the playoffs without much else to show for it. Coached by Keefe and with a core led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares, the Leafs went 16-21 in the postseason.
Earlier this week, Keefe said that while he accepts responsibility for expectations not being met, his confidence in the group’s — and his own — ability to succeed was at an all-time high.
“Now more than ever, I believe in myself and our team,” Keefe said. “That I will win and our team will win.”
That winning in Toronto, if it happens, will be under a different coach. Among the experienced options available are 2019 Stanley Cup winner Craig Berube, veteran Bruce Boudreau, former Minnesota coach Dean Evason and former Los Angeles coach Todd McLellan.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, top right, Martin Jones (31) and Pontus Holmberg (29) prepare to shake hands with the Boston Bruins after losing in overtime during Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Boston. Credit: AP/Michael Dwyer
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This story has been corrected to show that there have been 19 coaching changes, not 18, in the NHL since the end of the 2022-23 season.
