The New Jersey Devils didn't take long to find a new head coach after interim Travis Green was hired by the Ottawa Senators earlier this offseason. Sheldon Keefe will take over in Newark next year as the Devils look to return to the postseason after a disappointing miss in 2023-24.
After over a decade in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization — including leading the American Hockey League's Marlies to a Calder Cup championship in 2018 — Keefe was fired after another first-round exit for the Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now, Keefe will join a young Devils team that is one season removed from a 52-win, 112-point campaign. And the 43-year-old will look to get them back to that level in 2025.
“This is an exciting time, and I'm honored to be a member of the Devils' organization,” Keefe said shortly after being hired, per NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale. “To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me.”
He added: “After meeting with David [Blitzer], [co-owner] Josh Harris, Tom [Fitzgerald], and other members of the organization and in talking with my family, this was an opportunity that I couldn't turn down. I know this organization has a great history of winning and I look forward to getting started to work on leading them back to that level.”
Keefe helped the Leafs to a 212-97-40 regular-season record over his five seasons as head coach, but was only able to guide the club to one playoff series win in that span. It was the franchise's first since 2004 as the playoff futility continues in Southwestern Ontario.
For the Toronto native, it's a new opportunity in a market where every move he makes will be scrutinized to a much smaller degree.
Sheldon Keefe will try to bring Devils back to playoffs next season
Keefe earned high praise from both general manager Tom Fitzgerald and co-owner David Blitzer, who have faith he can help steer the roster in the right direction in 2024-25 and beyond.
“This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them,” said Fitzgerald on Thursday, per Morreale. “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration, and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender. The organization is incredibly excited to welcome Sheldon, his wife, Jackie, and his two boys, Landon and Wyatt to New Jersey.”
“I'm thrilled to welcome Sheldon and his family to New Jersey,” echoed Blitzer. “Finding the right coach to lead this team was our top priority, and Sheldon impressed us during every step of the interview process. He shares in our goal to unlock the full potential of this roster and deliver a fourth Stanley Cup to our fans. Sheldon and Tom will be tremendous partners because they believe in the hard work and resiliency it takes to build a consistent contender. I'm excited for the future of New Jersey Devils hockey.”
The Devils fired Lindy Ruff on March 4 after a dismal stretch, and Travis Green didn't fare much better, finishing the season 8-12-1. It was a hugely disappointing result after New Jersey upset the New York Rangers and came within three wins of a trip to the East Final last year.
With a fantastic core led by Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, and a hopefully fully healthy Dougie Hamilton, the Devils should be much better next year if they can get capable goaltending — a position that let them down mightily in 2023-24.
Overall, it's been 10 out of 12 seasons without a playoff run, and it'll be intriguing to see if Keefe can steer this roster back into a postseason spot next April.
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