Sheldon Keefe speaks for first time since being fired by Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Thursday morning that they've fired Head Coach Sheldon Keefe after parts of five seasons behind the bench and nine seasons in the organization.
The move comes less than a week after the Maple Leafs were defeated in overtime in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. During Keefe's tenure, the Maple Leafs only won one playoff series, which came last year in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Following the news of his firing, Sheldon Keefe took to social media to thank the fan base and the organization for the opportunity he had to be the Head Coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs and took responsibility for the team's playoff failures.
"I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs. 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 entire 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 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.
To the players, I appreciate all your efforts. Your talents and your work ethic made me look good on a lot of nights. Anyone who suited up for the blue and white, I appreciate you. The support staff of the Maple Leafs, you're tremendous people and elite at what you do. Players and support staff will drive the team to success, I believe it will win.
Leafs nation, you deserve a Stanley Cup. Your passion at home and on the road is unmatched. It's an incredible honour 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 appreciate the fact that I helped you do it.
I don't know what comes next, but I'll be ready for it. In the meantime, I'll enjoy giving by family the time that they deserve. Love you all and be well." Keefe said.
This was a really classy move from Sheldon Keefe to address the fans and the people who helped him do his job with the Maple Leafs and Marlies. He may not have got the job done, but he seemed well-liked by everyone in the organization.
There's no doubt that Sheldon Keefe will land a new job in the National Hockey League pretty soon, whether that be as a Head Coach or an Assistant Coach and it'll be interesting to see how quickly he returns to the bench and if it'll be for the 2024-25 campaign.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Sheldon Keefe will be behind an NHL bench next season? | ||
| Yes, as a Head Coach | 240 | 55.7 % |
| Yes, as an Assistant Coach | 83 | 19.3 % |
| No | 108 | 25.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
