Report: Sheldon Keefe named the next head coach of the New Jersey Devils

Spittin Chiclets’ Brian “Rear Admiral” McGonagle initially reported that Sheldon Keefe will be the next head coach of the New Jersey Devils, and TSN’s Darren Dreger later confirmed the report that the former five-year Maple Leafs bench boss is heading to the Metropolitan division to coach the up-and-coming young Devils squad.

Minutes after confirming the news, Dreger followed up his post on X by saying that it will be four years, including the two years left on Keefe’s extension that kicks in at the start of the 2024-25 season, less than a year after signing it in Toronto.

Keefe, 43, was with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization for nine years, four and a half with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and four and a half with the Maple Leafs, after replacing Mike Babcock in late 2019. He won the 2018 Calder Cup with the Marlies and led them to two 50-win seasons (2015-16 and 2017-18).

During his time with the Maple Leafs, he replicated the regular-season success that he had with the Marlies, recording two 50-win seasons and two 110-point seasons, but couldn’t translate that into playoff success in the NHL. In four and a half seasons with the big club, Keefe clinched the playoffs every year, winning just one playoff round, which came last year against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Brampton native now joins a Devils team with loads of young talent that missed the playoffs this past season following an overachieving season in 2021-22 when they finished with 52 wins and 112 points, defeating their rivals, New York Rangers, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

After Buffalo, Ottawa, and Toronto hired their new head coaches, along with Los Angeles removing the interim tag on Hiller, making him the next head coach of the Kings earlier today, Keefe being named the head coach of the Devils became more likely. The only teams that still don’t have a bench boss are the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets.