After the Toronto Maple Leafs fell short in Game 7 of their first-round series with the Boston Bruins, it was obvious that something had to give. They needed change, but the question was, what would that change be? Would Brendan Shanahan finally be given his marching orders? Would Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and co. finally, be held accountable? Would Brad Treliving be given another chance, as he had just arrived with the team before the 2023-2024 Season? Or would it once again be the coach who would fall on his sword? Sheldon Keefe knew the answer before any of us knew.
What Keefe Said on Locker Clear-Out Day
As the players attended the Scotiabank Arena to clear their lockers, Keefe was also in the building, giving what would be his last post-mortem press conference in Toronto. The bench boss didn’t look for any excuses or escape pods, he bluntly said the elimination was on him and he was taking the full blame for it. A players’ coach, right up until his last press conference, threw himself in front of the metaphorical bullets that the media could have fired in Shanahan’s or the players’ direction.
He also mentioned he had refused the opportunity to sit in with general manager Treliving in the players’ exit interviews, adding he saw those as a formality and much preferred casual conversation around the facility and more meaningful conversations in the offseason.
Related: Takeaways From the Maple Leafs Locker Clear Out Day
He candidly admitted that whether or not he would be back for the next season was out of his control and that coaches do eventually get fired in the coaching business, but added he would like to keep going with the group as he had never felt better about its ability to play playoff hockey.
Back then, I wrote that I believed his refusal to join in on the exit meetings came from the fact he felt the pressure and the real possibility of his termination. As I wrote then, I believe he hoped the players might plead with Treliving on his behalf, but if they did on that day, it wasn’t enough to keep their long-time coach around.
What Keefe Said Yesterday in His First Press Conference With the Devils
While Keefe had released a video thanking pretty much everyone he worked with or for on the day his firing was announced, it was inevitable that he would be asked for more details about his dismissal by the Maple Leaf. As classy as always, Keefe didn’t fire any shots toward his former team; he explained:
First in terms of the video as I mentioned earlier it was about bringing some closure to the situation. I had a pretty good sense that day, I believe it was a Thursday perhaps, that I was going to wake up and be called in for a meeting and I knew what the result was going to be. I didn’t sleep much that night I was up around 3:00 AM and rolling around in bed and I knew I wanted to bring some closure to the situation and I had the idea of doing a video like that, it was just an easy way, I didn’t want to spend much time going through the media, but I wanted to be able to send a message to the fans and to everyone that had been a part of…I spent a lot of years in Toronto with the Marlies and the Leafs and worked with some incredible people. I wanted to be able to control my message and send it out there.
Unsurprisingly, Keefe knew the guillotine was coming. He was losing sleep over it and keen on bringing some closure to the situation. The way he chose to do it was just perfect. He got to say exactly what he wanted to say and when he wanted to see it. If the video had been a gymnastics routine at the Olympics, he would have had full marks, especially with such a perfect landing.
About the Recruitment Process
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald explained that he had thoroughly searched for his new coach, interviewing many qualified candidates. Still, he didn’t want to hire anyone until he saw how the first round would shake out. What a wise move that was. After the Maple Leafs’ elimination, he contacted Treliving to ask permission to talk with Keefe about his coaching vacancy, and unsurprisingly, permission was granted.
Treliving had no use for Keefe anymore, but as he had fired his coach, he still had to pay him for the next two years. His hiring by the Devils meant that the Maple Leafs were no longer liable for that money.
All’s well that ends well for those concerned. Treliving now only needs to pay his new head coach Craig Berube, Fitzgerald got his man in New Jersey and the remaining unemployed coaches can tell themselves there are still six coaching vacancies in the NHL.
