The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe.
General manager Brad Treliving made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Keefe had a 212-97-40 record over parts of five campaigns in Toronto, but was just 16-21 in the post-season, including a 1-5 series record.
Despite finally getting the organization over a painful playoff hump last spring when the Leafs advanced for the first time in nearly two decades, Keefe was unable to keep that momentum going.
Toronto bowed out in a tepid five games to the Florida Panthers in the second round in 2023 before Kyle Dubas was fired as GM less than two weeks later.
That dismissal led to questions about Keefe’s future, but Treliving elected to keep the Dubas loyalist after taking the reins, and then inked the Brampton, Ont., product to a contract extension through 2025-26.
Treliving called the decision to move on “difficult
We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best.”
The organization added it “will immediately begin the search for a new head coach, and decisions regarding the remainder of the coaching staff will follow.”
Keefe guided the Leafs to third in the Atlantic this season as sniper Auston Matthews chased the league’s first 70-goal campaign since 1992-93 before coming up just one short to finish with a tally of 69 in securing his third Maurice (Rocket) Richard Trophy.
But Toronto’s series against Boston followed a familiar Leafs’ playoff script with sub-par special teams — the power play went an appalling 1-for-21 — and goaltending the team’s ultimate undoing.
The Leafs battled back down 3-1 in the series with a pair of hard-fought 2-1 victories, including one in overtime, before falling to the Bruins by the same scoreline in OT of Game 7.
A migraine headache that impacted winger William Nylander’s vision that kept him out of the lineup for the first three contests certainly didn’t help the cause, while Matthews battled illness and injury after a monster Game 2. He sat for Games 5 and 6 before returning for the do-or-die finale at far less than 100 per cent
Keefe spoke to reporters as the players parted ways Monday (May 6), taking responsibility for failing to meet expectations, but also bullish on the future.
“Now more than ever, I believe in myself and our team,” he said. “That I will win and our team will win.”
Keefe did indeed win in Toronto — just not enough in the playoffs.
