The foregone conclusion has become a reality in Toronto: the Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Keefe took over as the head coach in Toronto in November of 2019, replacing Mike Babcock. He ranks fifth all-time in wins among Maple Leafs head coaches. From the Leafs’ release: “Keefe coached the Maple Leafs to a 212-97-40 record in 349 regular season games. The club recorded three consecutive 100-point seasons under Keefe, including a team-record 115-point season in 2021-22.”
But after another disappointing first-round exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the organization decided to go in a different direction.
Since the end of last season, 18 NHL teams have made a coaching change. And Keefe had a two-year contract extension that hadn’t even started yet.