Sheldon Keefe fired as Toronto Maple Leafs coach

 

Sheldon Keefe, the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was sacked, the team confirmed on Thursday.

"The organization will immediately begin the search for a new head coach," the team said in a statement.

In a video released on X, formerly Twitter, Keefe said he will be forever grateful for the opportunity to coach the Leafs.

"It's a dream come true for a boy from Brampton," he said.

 Keefe's Maple Leafs finished 212-97-40 in 349 games during the regular season.

With Keefe in the bench, the squad had three straight seasons with 100 points or more, highlighted by a record-tying 115 points in 2021–2022.


With Keefe in charge, the Leafs had a 16–21 postseason record overall with only one playoff round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning the previous season. Nevertheless, they frequently lost in the tournament. Toronto succumbed to the Boston Bruins in the seventh game of the series last weekend, capping an uneventful 2023–24 season.

The Leafs made it to the second round for the first time in almost 20 years last spring, finally lifting the team out of a terrible playoff rut, but Keefe was unable to maintain that momentum.