Sheldon Keefe wryly noted he’ll never be completely severed from his previous life in Toronto as long as he must battle traffic to reach Scotiabank Arena.
But Thursday night will be akin to the final cutting of the cord for the coach, who worked here almost 10 years, first with the AHL Marlies including the 2018 Calder Cup, and five years a Leaf, concluding with three straight 100-point seasons.
“That’s fair to say,” Keefe said of the split’s final rite. “It was nice to get home last night, have dinner with my family, fight traffic on the QEW today, all very familiar. But of course it will be different on the other bench.
“When the puck drops, it’s hockey, similar to when we played them in Jersey (a 4-2 Leafs win in October).”
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Keefe’s new charges have a one-point lead in the standings on the Leafs entering the match and sit second place in their division.
Keefe has made low-key trips back since the Devils hired him right after the Leafs fired him in May. Not wishing to disrupt his wife’s career, his two sons’ avid hockey and lacrosse pursuits or their many community connections, they’ve stayed in the family home west of the city while Keefe commutes.
But Thursday morning was different, with Keefe walking in the Raptors’ entrance at Scotiabank Arena, then fighting the instinct to keep going past the visitors’ room to the Leafs’ lair.
“Great seeing all the familiar faces and saying hi to everyone,” said Keefe, whose .665 points percentage is a Toronto franchise record.
For all the success the Devils have had so far, Keefe knows a few reversals in Toronto’s playoff record (1-5 in the series he coached) would not have seen him cashed out for Craig Berube.
“It was my first experience, not only in the NHL, but to coach such a great team, a terrific franchise with great resources and such expectations to win. My growth as a coach was likely expedited,” he said.
“I know the league a bit better now and believe I have a clear understanding of how to succeed. As a young coach, you’re trying to find your way through that in the first couple of seasons.
“I have a clear sense of who I am as a coach and for all those reasons grateful for the opportunity I had here. But as I’ve said, I’m forever disappointed we weren’t able to deliver in playoffs and that’s part of why changes were required.
“I don‘t want to make (Thursday) bigger than it is. The players on the ice will determine the outcome and I’ll enjoy it for what it is.”
He’ll likely be getting a video tribute during a first-period time out.
“I was probably out in public more than any other Leafs coach because of my kids being in sports and never left this past summer other than the odd trip to Jersey,” Keefe observed. “I never had any negative experience (with fans), other than them coming up and thanking me for my time.
“There was a lot of responsibility, but a lot of privilege and I loved every single day I coached the Leafs.”
Down the hall at Scotiabank Arena, winger Bobby McMann was one of the Leafs expressing thanks for Keefe’s key role in their development. Undrafted, McMann worked his way up through the Marlies, where Keefe recognized his potential.
“He gave me a lot of opportunity early on, taught me things in my game that could have an impact in the NHL,” McMann said. “Basically, he told me there are (holes) on this team you can fill on both sides of the game.”
Keefe had an unconventional start to his Leafs tenure, replacing Mike Babcock early in a season that would be delayed months by the COVID-19 pandemic. But he did get to work with many of those who had moved up with him from the Marlies and ultimately had custody of the Core Four — the uber-talented Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and free agent John Tavares.
“There are lots of guys I feel good about, not just here, but around the league through the Marlies and Leafs. Not just myself and my assistants, but the development and training staff,” Keefe said. “So many people around the Leafs help these guys be the best versions of themselves and Bobby is one who stayed true to himself.
“It was a great loss to us last year in the playoffs (a seven-game defeat by Boston) because he’d been so important to our team. You feel good for guys like that.”
The October defeat to the Leafs came right after the jet-lagged Devils returned from Prague after sweeping the Sabres in the season-opening games.
Keefe joked he had some significant money on the dressing room board that night to give his team incentive, but as they lost, he vowed “this time we’ll play for the points.”
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