It didn’t take lengthy for Sheldon Keefe to discover a new job.
The New Jersey Devils employed Keefe as head coach, Sportsnet confirmed on Wednesday. The Spittin’ Chiclets podcast was the primary to report the information.
Keefe was fired as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Might 9, lower than per week after the membership misplaced Recreation 7 of the primary spherical in time beyond regulation in opposition to the Boston Bruins. He had two years left on his contract.
The Devils, in the meantime, fired their head coach Lindy Ruff on March 4 and moved assistant Travis Inexperienced into the interim head coach place. On the shut of the season, Inexperienced accepted the top teaching gig in Ottawa, making room for Keefe to take over because the Devils’ new bench boss.
Below Keefe, the Leafs achieved nice regular-season success, however by no means made an extended playoff run.
The membership received simply considered one of six playoff sequence underneath his watch with the Leafs qualifying for post-season play in all 5 of his years behind the bench.
Former GM Kyle Dubas promoted Keefe from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to interchange Mike Babcock early within the 2019-20 season. In 2017-18, Keefe guided the Marlies to the Calder Cup.
The 43-year-old native of Brampton, Ont. was extensively praised for getting the Leafs again into this yr’s first-round sequence in opposition to the Bruins after falling behind 3-1 and coping with a number of key accidents, however the crew’s string of playoff losses made his departure appear inevitable.
Dubas gave Keefe his massive break in teaching, hiring him to teach the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds in 2012 after he received a nationwide junior-A championship with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
A high-scoring junior participant, Keefe ended up taking part in 125 profession NHL video games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
