The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the worst postseason records of any of the Big 4 sports in North America, and coach Sheldon Keefe is currently being held accountable. The team stated on Thursday that he will no longer be serving as coach.
The Toronto Maple Leafs became just the second team in the history of the NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB to enter the playoffs eight straight years with just one first-round victory after losing Game 7 to the Boston Bruins and being eliminated in the first round. The second franchise to do that was the Buffalo Sabres, who played from 1988 until 1995.
Sheldon Keefe will thus be placed on the unemployment rolls. The team announced the news in an early statement on Thursday, stating that the hunt for a new coach would start right away.
The Leafs’ general manager, Brad Treliving, stated that the decision made today was challenging. Sheldon is a fantastic coach and a kind man, but we came to the conclusion that the squad needs a fresh perspective in order to persevere and accomplish our ultimate objective. We appreciate Sheldon’s nine years of hard work and dedication to the organization, and we send our best wishes to him and his family.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ decision to part ways with Sheldon Keefe is a little surprising considering that his August contract extension hasn’t yet begun to run.
But, given the lack of playoff success the franchise has had, they determined a new leader needed to be found.
Keefe took over as coach in November 2019, replacing Mike Babcock, who had been fired. Regular season success was plentiful, as Toronto went 212-97-40. The team registered 100+ points in three straight seasons and had back-to-back 50+ win campaigns in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Alas, the Toronto Maple Leafs record under Sheldon Keefe in the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a disappointing 16-21. The team did battle back from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7 despite their star Auston Matthews being out of the lineup, but that wasn’t enough for Keefe to keep his job.