NEWARK, N.J. — Less than two weeks after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe has been hired by the New Jersey Devils and given the task of turning a young team led by a superstar forward into a Stanley Cup contender.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the hiring on Thursday, saying Keefe would be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
''This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them,'' Fitzgerald said. ''Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender."
In Toronto, Keefe had Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to lead the team to five consecutive playoff berths. New Jersey has young forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischer, both No. 1 overall draft picks.
''This is an exciting time, and I'm honored to be a member of the Devils' organization,'' Keefe said in a statement. ''To have the chance to lead this young, dynamic team and to see the potential that can still be unlocked is all very attractive for me."
Keefe is the Devils' fifth coach since 2019 and the third since March. They fired Lindy Ruff late in the season, replaced him on an interim basis with Travis Green and missed the playoffs anyway. Green left to coach the Ottawa Senators.
This is the second head coaching job in the NHL for the 43-year-old after spending the past four-plus seasons with Toronto, making the playoffs each time but winning just one series in the process. That led the Leafs to seek a new voice and hire Stanley Cup-winning coach Craig Berube.
The Devils finished with the sixth-worst save percentage in the league and could not outscore their problems. The step back came a year after reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2023.
