'I Clearly Wouldn't Be Here Without The Faith He Put In Me': Sheldon Keefe's Maple Leafs Visit Kyle Dubas' Penguins in First Game Since Parting of Ways, Where to Watch
For the first time ever, it's the Maple Leafs visiting Kyle's house after the Leafs parted ways with their GM in May.
PITTSBURGH — Sheldon Keefe insisted that the thought of playing against the man who hired him at the OHL, AHL and NHL levels didn't cross his mind when he entered PPG Paints Arena.
"It feels like any other game," he said. "I don’t think you ever coach against a general manager."
The Maple Leafs head coach will be behind the bench for the first time against a team led by Kyle Dubas, the current president and general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. Emotions might be running high for Dubas, who was dismissed from his general manager position with the Maple Leafs in May, just days after indicating he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue on due to the toll it took on his family.
But we don't know for sure as Dubas has declined to speak on the matter since that decision came to light.
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In the time after Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan elected not to extend Dubas, he hired Brad Treliving. Dubas went to Pittsburgh where he's put his focus on building around an older core of players like 36-year-old Sidney Crosby and 37-year-old Evgeni Malkin while making more 'win-now' moves like acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks.
Now Keefe and Dubas meet, a scenario that wouldn't have seemed possible around this time last year given both could have stayed in Toronto or both could have been out.
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No matter how it shook out, Keefe acknowledged it was Dubas giving the Leafs coach his break that has led to the opportunities he's had.
Both Dubas and Keefe won a Calder Cup trophy together as GM and head coach of the Toronto Marlies, respectively.
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"I clearly wouldn’t be here without the faith he put in me," Keefe said. "I like to think I’ve helped him at the same time, a little bit. It was a good relationship we had to push and challenge one another. Forever grateful for all that he’s done.
"But, he’s on the other side here now and I’ve enjoyed the process of working with Tre here just the same."
Lineup news
The Maple Leafs are expecting some sort of change to their lineup with a couple of "game-time decisions" according to Keefe. Ryan Reaves, Bobby McMann and Alex Steeves were the only players who elected to take the ice for some work on the ice after the club fell to the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime on Friday. The Penguins fell 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and did not skate.
Joseph Woll has already been confirmed as the starter in goal for Toronto
Where to watch
Viewers across Canada can watch or stream the game on CBC and Sportsnet. Viewers in the Pittsburgh broadcast region can watch on Sportsnet Pittsburgh. In the rest of the United States, the game will be on NHL Network. The rest of the world can stream the game on NHL Live.
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