NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Driving past the Prudential Center for a news conference at which he would be introduced at the New Jersey Devils coach, Sheldon Keefe noticed a statue of Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur in front of the building.
It was an instant reminder that the expectations of coaching the Devils in the New York City metropolitan area are no different than what was expected in Toronto for the Maple Leafs.
Winning a Stanley Cup is all that matters, and that’s the goal Keefe will bring next season when he takes over another young and talented team that fell short of expectations this past season.
The Devils have won the Cup three times in 1995, 2000 and 2003, with Brodeur in goal all three times. They have only gotten back to the Cup Final once (2012) and since then have made the playoffs twice in 2018 and 2023.
“I know what the expectations are here and what the potential is,” said Keefe, who noted several times that he viewed this job as a fresh start. “To challenge for playoff position in the playoffs and also win the Stanley Cup. Those are the expectations. That’s why I’ve come.”
Keefe led the Auston Matthews-led Maple Leafs to the playoffs in all five of his seasons but only got past the first round once. This past season ended with a first-round loss to Boston in overtime of Game 7.
Keefe was fired less than a week later. After that announcement, Keefe filmed a video for the fans, giving closure for his time in Toronto.
The good news for him was Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald was waiting patiently in his coaching search and had Keefe in his sights if he became available.
After seeing Keefe’s message, Fitzgerald called Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving to ask for permission to talk to his former coach.
About The Author
Leave a Reply