The Toronto Maple Leafs dismissed head coach Sheldon Keefe after the team's disappointing exit in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins, and the coach quickly took to X to post a heartfelt message to the organization and fans.

“Leafs nation, time has come to say goodbye,” Sheldon Keefe said in the video he posted to X. “Writing down a note and sending it out didn't seem like enough, and I do plan on taking a little break from media, so here I am. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's a dream come true for a boy from Brampton. I want to thank Kyle Dubas, Lou Lamoriello, Brad Treliving, Brandon Pridham, Brendan Shanahan, Larry Tanenbaum and the MLSE board for giving me this opportunity to work with the Marlies and Leafs. I didn't get it done in the playoffs. I didn't help push our team over the line and deliver. I accept responsibility for that. No excuses. That's the job. I didn't get it done. It's the reality of the business and I accept it.”

Keefe continued his message by thanking the Maple Leafs players, fans, support staff and media before saying that he is not sure what he will do next.

“To the players, I appreciate all your efforts. Your talents and your work ethic made me look good on a lot of nights,” Keefe said. “Anyone who suited up for blue and white, I appreciate you. To the support staff of the Maple Leafs, you're tremendous people. You're elite at what you do. Players and support staff will drive the team to success. I believe it will win. Leafs nation, you deserve your Stanley Cup. Your passion at home and on the road is unmatched. It's an incredible honor to coach the Maple Leafs to try to deliver for you. To the media, I had to deal with you every single day, sometimes twice a day, three times a day, I appreciate your process. I respected the fact that you're honest and fair, and had a job to do. I hope you appreciated the fact that I helped you do it. I don't know what comes next, but I know I'll be ready for it. In the meantime, I'll enjoy giving my the time that they deserve. Love you all. Be well.”

Sheldon Keefe's coaching career

Keefe took over the Maple Leafs during the 2019-2020 season, and led the team to a 27-15-5 record, according to Hockey Reference. He took over during the middle of that season after Mike Babcock was fired that November. Overall, he had a 212-97-40 record as head coach.

The Maple Leafs went to the playoffs in all five of the seasons that Keefe was behind the bench for Toronto, but disappointed in each of them. The Maple Leafs went out early in the bubble in 2020, then lost in the first round the following two seasons.

In 2023, Keefe led the Maple Leafs to the second round before losing to the Florida Panthers, which was the furthest the organization went in a long time at that point. Ultimately, this year's loss to the Bruins was the last straw.

It would be a bit surprising if we do not see Keefe behind the bench coaching an NHL team at some point soon, given the regular season success he had. It will be interesting to see if someone hires him this offseason, or if he takes a year off before getting back into the job market.