The Toronto Maple Leafs relieved Sheldon Keefe of head-coaching duties Thursday.
In keeping with a press release from the membership, a seek for Keefe’s substitute will start instantly.
“Right this moment’s resolution was troublesome,” Leafs common supervisor Brad Treliving stated. “Sheldon is a superb coach and a terrific man; nonetheless, we decided a brand new voice is required to assist the group push via to achieve our final objective. We thank Sheldon for his exhausting work and dedication to the group during the last 9 years, and need him and his household all the perfect.”
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No willpower has been made about the remainder of Toronto’s teaching workers, which incorporates assistants Manny Malhotra, Dean Chynoweth and Man Boucher.
Keefe has two years remaining on a contract extension Treliving signed him to in August, which does not formally kick in till the 2024-25 season.
Treliving is scheduled to fulfill with the media alongside president Brendan Shanahan and Maple Leaf Sports activities & Leisure CEO Keith Pelley on Friday.
Keefe was promoted to Toronto’s head-coaching position in November 2019 to switch the fired Mike Babcock. Keefe had beforehand been coach of the Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, since 2015 and guided them to a Calder Cup championship in 2018.
By 4½ NHL seasons, Keefe led the Leafs to a 212-97-40 document — with consecutive seasons of fifty or extra wins — and playoff appearances in every full marketing campaign. Toronto by no means discovered postseason success underneath Keefe, although, bowing out of the primary spherical in three of the previous 4 seasons, together with on this yr’s first-round loss to Boston in Recreation 7 extra time.
That defeat particularly appeared to seal Keefe’s destiny. The Leafs had been down 3-1 within the sequence and battled again to pressure a decisive remaining contest, however Toronto’s perennial underachievement compelled administration into making a change.
That is the primary main adjustment for Treliving since he joined Toronto’s workers final Might. Shanahan had parted methods with former GM Kyle Dubas — who initially employed Keefe to switch Babcock after additionally bringing Keefe to the group when he was GM of the Marlies’ previous to that — and launched Treliving within the position shortly after. Treliving opted to increase Keefe earlier than final season started, touting Keefe’s “clear imaginative and prescient and route for the place the group must go.”
Now the hunt for Keefe’s successor will get underway in what might be a busy offseason for the Leafs. Toronto has key skaters together with Auston Matthews and William Nylander signed to long-term contracts. They need to capitalize on that core with success proper now, notably within the playoffs. The opposite items of the Leafs’ designated Core 4 — Mitch Marner and John Tavares — might be getting into the ultimate yr of their present offers this season. Each can be eligible to signal extensions in Toronto on July 1.