Sheldon Keefe is about to start a new job with the New Jersey Devils in the fall of 2024. How has he fared in previous seasons with a new team?
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe played 125 games in the NHL as a right-winger who scored 12 goals and 24 points. Upon leaving the league in 2003, he bought the Pembroke Lumber Kings, a Junior A team in the Central Canada Hockey League, while playing three more seasons in the AHL.
Upon retirement, Keefe served as an assistant coach, helping the Lumber Kings become one of Canada's top teams. Although he was the owner, he didn't become head coach until 2006 and now has been behind the bench for the past 18 seasons in the CCHL, OHL, AHL, and NHL.
Considering Keefe's averages over four seasons with each franchise, we wanted to examine his performances at each level and his successes as a first-year head coach.
2006-07 Pembroke Lumber Kings (41-10-2-2)
After a 50-7-1-1 season and a loss in the CCHL semi-finals in 2005-06, Keefe stepped into the head coaching role for the start of the 2006-07 campaign. Although the club didn't win as many games, with a 41-10-2-2 record, they did finish first in the division again and won the league's championship. As a first-time head coach, Keefe won a title and boasted a .745 win percentage.
2012-13 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (36-26-3-3)
Keefe dominated the CCHL with the Lumber Kings, winning five consecutive championships from 2007 to 2011, losing in the second round just once in 2012. Looking for a new challenge, he became the head coach of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2012.
Despite not winning a league title in the OHL, Keefe's teams qualified for the playoffs on three occasions, including his first season, where the Greyhounds were 36-26-3-3. Keefe compiled a .529 win percentage in his first OHL campaign.
2015-16 Toronto Marlies (54-16-5-1)
While in the OHL, Keefe compiled a .670 win percentage with no championship appearances. When he took over the Toronto Marlies in 2015, he guided the team to a Calder Cup championship in his third season.
During Keefe's first professional season behind the bench, he guided the Marlies to a 54-16-5-1 mark, equaling a .710 win percentage in the regular season. The team finished first in the North Division and advanced to the third round of the Calder Cup playoffs, an improvement of 25 points.
2019-20 Toronto Maple Leafs (27-15-5)
Keefe was 11-2-2-1 with the Marlies at the start of the 2019-20 season when he earned a promotion to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 20, 2019. In his first role in the NHL, he guided the Maple Leafs to a 27-15-5 record in 47 games, with the season cut short due to the pandemic.
Although Toronto finished third in the Atlantic Division, all playoff teams participated in a qualifying round, where the Columbus Blue Jackets eliminated them in five games. After five seasons with the Maple Leafs, Keefe is still looking for his first Stanley Cup title despite a .607 win percentage.
Historical Perspective
Without factoring in Keefe's playoff record with the Maple Leafs (16-21), he's never had a losing season in any head coaching role in the CCHL, OHL, AHL, or NHL.
Even though the Devils' new boss doesn't have a 69-goal scorer or a Vezina-caliber netminder, he has some of the best skaters in the league: Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Luke Hughes.
As a brilliant head coach and champion at various levels, it will be interesting if Keefe's career trends follow him to the Prudential Center.