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Ex-Leafs Coach Sheldon Keefe Shows More Backbone Than He Ever Did in Toronto

Originally posted on Maple Leafs Daily | By TJ Tucker | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 10:46 AM ET

Current New Jersey Devils and ex-Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe showed a very different side of himself at a press conference following a loss to the Ottawa Senators

The New Jersey Devils recently signed defenceman Jonathan Kovacevic to a contract extension, but that clearly doesn't make him immune to criticism from Devils coach Sheldon Keefe.

Following a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, and amid a recent rough patch of games, Keefe tore into his newly extended blueliner in a show of backbone and antagonism rarely seen, if ever, during his time in Toronto.

Asked about the loss following the game, Kovacevic said he and his teammates need to have more a post-season mindset in the last part of the regular season. Asked about that comment, Keefe immediately shut down the reporter, gave a very snarky answer, and walked away.

'Kovacevic just needs to play better. That would help.'

Kovacevic has just one assist in his last five games, and saw his usual 20+ minutes of ice time a night drop to just over 17 against the Senators.

Whether he deserved the clapback from Keefe is a matter of personal opinion, but one things for sure, it's a side of the coach we had never really seen during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If and when he did show glimpses of that in the past, he had usually walked back his comments as well.

Meanwhile, Leafs coach Craig Berube had some less than flattering comments for his team after an unacceptable 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators .

'I'm not sure if I'm surprised. These kinds of mental mistakes can happen throughout the year. However, I haven't seen mistakes like we made tonight in a while.'

That said, his comments were not directed at one specific player, nor were they as aggressive as Keefe's remarks before abruptly ending the media session after the Devils' loss.

There are arguments to be made for both styles of coaching. It will be interesting to see which one lands better in the locker rooms, especially come playoff time.

This article first appeared on Maple Leafs Daily and was syndicated with permission.

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