One of the biggest takeaways from Sheldon Keefe's introductory press conferences is that he is a family guy who happens to coach hockey. His family's support led to him accepting the position of head coach of the New Jersey Devils.

"Hey, you think there is any shot that Sheldon Keefe might be available?"

New Jersey Devils managing partner David Blitzer posed that question to general manager Tom Fitzgerald early in the playoffs.

Fitzgerald responded, "I have absolutely no idea, but he is on my speed dial in case it becomes a possibility."

Meanwhile, Keefe watched his Toronto Maple Leafs get eliminated in overtime of Game 7 of Round 1 against the Boston Bruins and prepared himself for a meeting that would ultimately lead to his dismissal.

The Maple Leafs announced they parted ways with Keefe on May 9, marking the end of his first coaching stint in the NHL.

"(I) didn't quite know what was going to happen next, quite frankly," Keefe said during his introductory media availability on Tuesday. "First time I've been in a situation where I've been let go and unsure of what was going to come next. So (I) didn't quite know what was to come."

That same day, Keefe walked to the waterfront near his home in Ontario to record a video for social media that would serve as a closure to his time in Toronto. Once the video was recorded and posted, he took his wife, Jackie, to lunch.

"It was during that lunch that I already got a call from (Maple Leafs GM) Brad Treliving letting me know that Tom (Fitzgerald) had reached out and wanted to talk, so it wasn't a whole lot of time to process things."

As Keefe relived those days in front of Devils' media and fans at Prudential Center on May 28, he could not help but credit Jackie, who was sitting in the front row dressed to the nines in Devils' red.

"It was really through the support of my wife Jackie, who reminded me after a couple of days that you're a hockey coach, and you should take this seriously," he said. "Ultimately, her support really allowed me to spend the time in the process and have the conversations with Tom, not knowing where it was going to lead."

Fitzgerald knew that Keefe's choice would be the result of a family decision and showed patience, making it known that the job was his if he wanted it.

"Tom was extremely patient, which I'm incredibly grateful for because he gave me time to process things, to have conversations with my family," Keefe said. "With each day that passed and with each conversation that I had, it just felt right with New Jersey."

With Jackie and his two sons, Landon and Wyatt's unwavering support, Keefe accepted Fitzgerald's offer via text message.

New Jersey's general manager knew none of this would be possible without the blessing of Keefe's family, so he addressed them first in his opening remarks.

"I really want to start by thanking Sheldon's family, Jackie, Wyatt, and Landon, for really pushing this over the top," he said. "This wasn't an easy decision for (Keefe), we knew that because of where he was, what he had down the road, and, more importantly, his love and passion for (his kids) to be a full-time dad. We all know he's one hell of a coach, and we're proud to have him as our coach, so thank you for sharing him with us."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP4NfY5UY5s[/embed]