The New Jersey Devils introduce Sheldon Keefe as their next head coach.

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils have made it official.

Sheldon Keefe has been named the 22nd head coach in team history. President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald made the announcement on Thursday morning.

“This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them,” said Fitzgerald in the official press release. “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration, and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender. The organization is incredibly excited to welcome Sheldon, his wife, Jackie, and his two boys, Landon and Wyatt to New Jersey.”

Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, "New Jersey liked Keefe's communication and ability to work with other departments. The Devils also loved Keefe's experience in Toronto working with a young core."

“This is an exciting time, and I’m honored to be a member of the Devils’ organization,” said Keefe in the press release. “To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me. After meeting with David, Josh, Tom, and other members of the organization and in talking with my family, this was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. I know this organization has a great history of winning and I look forward to getting started to work on leading them back to that level.”

Keefe, 43, has been the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach for parts of the past five seasons. It marked his first coaching job in the NHL, replacing Mike Babcock in November 2019.

Keefe was fired on May 9, days after his team lost Game 7 to the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. On May 17, Craig Berube was announced as his replacement.

He finished his tenure with the Maple Leafs with a record of 212-97-40 and 16-21 in the playoffs. Keefe led Toronto to the postseason in all five seasons but advanced past the first round only once. 

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