Maple Leafs fire Keefe
Toronto coach pays the price for absence of playoff success
On Monday, Sheldon Keefe took his place in front of a dozen television cameras.
The Maple Leafs head coach — on centre stage inside a small auditorium at the team's practice facility — was optimistic about the future for both himself and the group.
Keefe also understood Toronto had yet to meet expectations under his watch after its ultra-talented roster bowed out at the post-season's first stage for a fourth time in five years.
He knew his job might be in jeopardy. “Ownership and management, they make those types of decisions,” Keefe said Monday afternoon. “I accept responsibility for not meeting results.”
That failure ultimately led to his dismissal some 72 hours later.
The Leafs fired Keefe on Thursday following the Original Six franchise's loss to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
General manager Brad
Treliving called it a “difficult” decision to move on.
“Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man,” he said in a statement. “However, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal.”
The organization added the search for a replacement has already begun and that decisions regarding the remainder of the coaching staff would follow.
Keefe said in a video posted to the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, hours after the announcement that he would be “forever grateful” for the opportunity to coach the Leafs.
“I didn't get it done in the playoffs,” he said in a clip that ran roughly two minutes. “I didn't help push our team over the line and deliver.
“I accept responsibility for that.” Keefe thanked the players, support staff, management and media, but spoke most passionately to a Toronto fan base that hasn't tasted hockey glory since 1967.
“You deserve your Stanley Cup,” he said. “Your passion at home and on the road is unmatched.”
Keefe put up a combined 21297-40 record over parts of five campaigns in Toronto, but was just 16-21 in the post-season, including a 1-5 series mark.
DRAISAITL `DAY-TO-DAY'
Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl is “day-to-day” with an undisclosed injury, says head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Knoblauch says the Oilers coaching staff will decide Friday morning whether the 28-year-old German forward plays that evening in Game 2 of Edmonton's series with the Vancouver Canucks.
Draisaitl missed practice Thursday and appeared to be labouring late in Edmonton's 5-4 loss to the Vancouver in Game 1 of their second-round series Wednesday.
Knoblauch said after the game that Draisaitl was dealing with “cramping and equipment issues” that kept him off the ice.
Oilers forward Adam Henrique practised with the team Thursday after missing Game 1 because of an ankle injury.
Knoblauch says Henrique is also listed as “day-to-day”
CANUCKS CREASE CONCERN
Can you really change your goalie after a win?
To hear Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet talk about it Thursday, he may do that.
Arturs Silovs started Game 1 for the Canucks, a 5-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
But after a trio of strong performances to help guide his team to a first-round series win over the Nashville Predators, he was far from convincing in Game 1 against Edmonton.
And so his coach didn't shy away from a question about where his process is at for who will start in goal for Vancouver on Friday at Rogers Arena — Silovs or Casey Desmith, who played in Games 2 and 3 against Nashville before suffering a mysterious injury that put Silovs in the crease for Game 4.
Silovs is the incumbent, the coach admitted. But ...
“He's earned the right, right now, to play, but that doesn't mean you know, we haven't officially made a (decision),” Tocchet said. “The one thing we have: We have Casey, and Casey competed. You know, he could play tomorrow.”
Whatever the injury was, Tocchet said he thought Desmith was back to 100 per cent.
“I think he's past it, so he is definitely a viable option for us,” he said.