NEWARK — When Sheldon Keefe arrived at Prudential Center on Tuesday for his introductory press conference as the 22nd coach in New Jersey Devils history, he was greeted by a friendly reminder that expectations are as high here as they were in his previous gig coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“This is a fresh start for me. This is a different group and a different opportunity. Yet, I know the expectations are high,” Keefe explained. “I drove in here this morning, see the statue of Marty Brodeur out front and it’s just a nice reminder that the is a place of high expectations but also where winning is possible and it’s very exciting for me.”
The Maple Leafs are an Original Six behemoth in hockey-mad Toronto. They haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1967. And though Keefe guided the Maple Leafs to five consecutive playoff appearances as their coach, they lost in the first round four times, including three times in Game 7.
In fact Keefe hit the unemployment line after it happened again to the Maple Leafs this spring, losing Game 7 of the first round to the Boston Bruins when David Pastrnak scored in overtime. He finished with a 16-21 playoff record in Toronto.
The Devils don’t carry the burden and baggage the Maple Leafs do in many respects. But there is pride here, too, a franchise that won the Stanley Cup three times from 1995-2003 with Brodeur between the pipes, but failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 10 of the past 12 years, including this past season when coach Lindy Ruff was fired in-season.
“Expectations are high here. I’m drawn to that,” Keefe said.
Yes, he is.
Keefe had an outstanding .665 points percentage after being hired as Maple Leafs coach in November of 2019, best in franchise history. Only Dan Bylsma with the Pittsburgh Penguins reached 200 wins in NHL history faster than Keefe, who’s 212 victories (212-97-40) are fifth most all-time for the Maple Leafs.
Including his years coaching in junior and the American Hockey League, the 43-year-old has reached the postseason 18 consecutive seasons. He won four championships, including the Calder Cup in 2018.
So, Keefe feels ready to tackle the challenge of helping the Devils restore their glory.
“My vision is to win the Stanley Cup,” Keefe stated. “That’s very clear. But it’s also very clear to me that you need to maximize every single day.”
Related: Why Canucks players pushing for free agent Elias Lindholm to stay
Sheldon Keefe sees similarities between Devils and Maple Leafs
Photo: Jim Cerny
Though Keefe won’t face the same media scrutiny in New Jersey that he did in Toronto, there are some distinct similarities between the teams. Not the least of which is that he inherits some incredible young talent like Jack Hughes and his brother Luke, Nico Hishier and Jesper Bratt, along with a solid veteran core led by Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier. This after having coached Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitchell Marner and John Tavares in Toronto.
“In terms of parallels, the biggest one I’m focused on is this is a good team, really good players, great resources and high expectations,” Keefe explained. “I’ve never coached a game at any level for any team that I expected not to win. … And that was really important to me, so that parallel (between the Devils and Maple Leafs) is really important to me.”
The Devils finished third overall in the League in 2022-23, setting franchise records with 52 wins and 112 points. There was a major fallback this season, when the Devils (38-39-5) were 10 points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
“What I do know is the talent is there, the hunger is there, the commitment is there,” Keefe said about his new team. “I can tell from the initial conversations I’ve had with some of the players, it’s been very clear they were not happy with last season and they’re excited to look ahead.”
Keefe and Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald stressed the importance of accountability, perhaps a reason why Ruff was let go as coach. It’s not the only area Fitzgerald and his new coach appeared to be on the same page, something the GM said he noticed right away on their first phone call shortly after Keefe was fired by the Maple Leafs.
“[Keefe is] someone I can partner up with, someone who can challenge me and vice versa,” Fitzgerald explained. “From the get go it was evident that Sheldon would be a great partner for me. We can push each other. Because at the end of the day, we have the same goals, to bring the Stanley Cup back to New Jersey.”
When asked about New Jersey’s struggles in 2023-24, Keefe instead pivoted to their success two seasons ago because clearly what happened that season is what makes this opportunity so appealing to him.
“I reference the team from two seasons ago and what really stands out to me in terms of what I believe this team is capable of, I can remember playing against that (Devils) team and frankly feeling overwhelmed,” Keefe offered. “We (the Maple Leafs) were a very good team … and you could feel the skill and also the pressure, how much they were in control of the game, those are all things I value as a coach and I really saw that, felt that firsthand.”
Personal expectations are high for Keefe. Team expectations are high for the Devils.
New job. Same pursuit of the Stanley Cup.