Devils hiring Sheldon Keefe as next head coach: reports

O Devils are hiring Sheldon Keefe to be the next head coach, according to multiple reports.

Keefe spent the last five seasons behind the bench as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs until he was fired on May 9, a week after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 7.

Keefe, 43, has led the Leafs to the playoffs in each of his five seasons at the helm after taking over in November 2019. But Toronto has failed to advance past the opening round in four of those years, winning one of six playoff series . He posted a 212-97-40 record in 349 career regular season games.

Before taking the NHL job, Keefe was head coach of Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Marlies. Over five seasons there, he established a record of 200-89-31, with four trips to the playoffs and a Calder Cup title in 2018.

In his playing days, he was the 47th overall pick in the 1999 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but his career ended after five seasons and he began coaching.

Keefe takes over for Lindy Ruffwho was fired in early March. Travis Green served as interim head coach for the remaining 21 games of the 2023–24 NHL season. Green accepted the vacant head coaching position with the Ottawa Senators on May 7.