Sheldon Keefe was hired as coach of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
The 43-year-old, who will replace Travis Green, was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 9 after posting a 212-97-40 record in five seasons and a 16-21 record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It had been.
“This is a very exciting time and I’m honored to be a part of the Devils organization,” Keefe said. “Having the chance to lead this young and dynamic team and see the potential that is still unlocked is very appealing to me.”
Keefe, who replaced Mike Babcock on November 20, 2019, led Toronto to the playoffs in each of his five seasons. The Maple Leafs finished third in the Atlantic Division this season with a record of 46 wins, 26 losses, and 10 losses, but lost in the first round of the Eastern Conference to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Toronto has made it beyond the opening round of the playoffs just once since 2004 (2023).
Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, Keefe coached the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies for five seasons, leading them to their first Calder Cup championship in 2018.
The Devils (38-39-5) have compiled an 8-12-1 record since Green took over from Lindy Ruff as manager on March 4 and finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division after finishing last season with the most wins (52) and points (112) in New Jersey/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history, missing the playoffs for the 10th time in 12 seasons.
“This has been an encouraging process for me as I have met with many qualified candidates and heard how attractive this position is to them,” Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald said. Ta. “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when an opening became available and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is a great communicator, believes in collaboration, and will use what he has learned to make this team a Stanley Cup contender.
“We are very pleased to welcome Sheldon, his wife Jackie, and his two sons, Landon and Wyatt, to New Jersey.”
The Devils have had five players score at least 20 goals this season: Timo Meier (28), Jack Hughes (27), Jesper Bratt (27), Nico Hischier (27) and Dawson Mercer (20). Rookie defensemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec have also shown improvement.
“We are excited to welcome Sheldon and his family to New Jersey,” said Devils Managing Partner David Blitzer. “Finding the right coach to lead this team was our top priority, and Sheldon impressed us every step of the interview process. He shares our goal of maximizing the potential of this roster and delivering a fourth Stanley Cup to our fans. Sheldon and Tom will be great partners as they both believe it takes hard work and resilience to build a consistent competitive position. I am excited about the future of New Jersey Devils hockey.”
Defenseman Brendan Smith, forwards Tomas Nosek and Chris Tierney, and goalie Kaapo Kahkonen could each become unrestricted free agents on July 1. Fitzgerald said in his end-of-season press conference that he intends to make qualifying offers to each team in New Jersey. Four pending restricted free agents are Mercer, forward Nolan Foote, and goaltenders Nico Dawes and Akira Schmidt.
Jake Allen is the only one of the five goaltenders playing for the Devils this season who is under contract through 2024-25. New Jersey finished 26th in the NHL in points allowed per game (3.43).
“After meeting with David, (co-managing partner) Josh Harris, Tom, and other members of the organization, and speaking with my family, this was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Keefe said. “I know this organization has a great winning history and I look forward to getting to work getting them back to that level.”
