Change has arrived in Toronto, and it comes at the expense of Sheldon Keefe.
The Maple Leafs have relieved Keefe of his duties as the head coach, the team announced Thursday. Keefe spent a majority of the last five seasons with the club, but another early exit from the postseason locked in the fate of the 43-year-old.
Keefe was saved last season when the management group elected to part ways with former general manager Kyle Dubas but gave Keefe one more season. Sure, the one playoff series win also helped, but it's not like Toronto went on a deep run in 2023.
Another first-round exit in 2024, Toronto's third in four years, marked the writing on the wall. After the team's elimination, Keefe openly admitted that he failed to meet the high expectations for the Leafs.
"I’m in the coaching business, and in the coaching business you don’t get to make decisions about your position," Keefe said. "So for me, it’s out of my control.
"We’re in the results business here, and we didn’t get results. We haven’t met expectations, and as head coach I take responsibility for that."
The former Toronto coach further addressed his departure — and thanked Maple Leafs fans — in a video he posted to social media:
Thank you, Leafs Nation 💙✌️ pic.twitter.com/WN4iXJZjjE
— Sheldon Keefe (@SheldonKeefe) May 9, 2024
Keefe's removal very likely won't be the only major personnel turnover happening within the organization. But it is an important one, leaving a gap on the bench for a team that should be a Stanley Cup contender given its star power but has failed time and time again to unlock their true potential.
Here is more on Keefe's firing from the Maple Leafs.
MORE: Craig Berube, Gerard Gallant among five best replacements for Sheldon Keefe
Why did the Maple Leafs fire Sheldon Keefe?
Keefe's downfall ultimately came down to the team's lack of success in the postseason.
Toronto was an excellent team in the regular season throughout Keefe's tenure. The Leafs never needed to worry about making the playoffs — only if they could win even a single playoff round.
The Maple Leafs failed to win a playoff round his first three seasons at the helm, losing to the Blue Jackets in the 2020 qualifying round, blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Canadiens in the first round of the 2021 bubble and falling in seven games to the Lightning in 2022.
The team got over the hump in 2023, beating the Lightning in seven games to win its first playoff series since 2004. But the Leafs then got waxed in five games by the Panthers in the second round. The loss to the Bruins in seven games in 2024 was the cherry on top, as Toronto battled back from down 3-1 only to fall for the fourth time in a game against it bitter rival in Boston.
Not all of the blame falls on Keefe. Outside of William Nylander and John Tavares in clutch moments, the team did not get consistent scoring out of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the playoffs.
The Leafs' average goals per game dropped from 3.09 in the 2023-24 regular season to just 1.71 in the playoffs. The power play, which ranked sixth in the NHL heading into the postseason, completely disappeared, scoring just one goal on the man advantage in 21 opportunities.
That's a trend for the Leafs' Core Four, and another reason why Keefe might not be the only one getting the boot this offseason.
MORE: NHL coaching changes tracker for 2024 offseason
Sheldon Keefe coaching record
Regular season record
In the regular season, the Leafs were dominant under Keefe. Since he took over in 2019-20, only the Bruins, Avalanche and Hurricanes earned more points than the Maple Leafs — pretty elite company to keep. Toronto finished the last three seasons with at least 100 points, earning at least 45 wins in each of the seasons.
In total, the Leafs went 212-97-40 under the 43-year-old Keefe before his firing.
| Season | Games | Wins | Losses | OT Losses | Points | Finish |
| 2019-20 | 47 | 27 | 15 | 5 | 59 | 3rd in Atlantic |
| 2020-21 | 56 | 35 | 14 | 7 | 77 | 1st in North |
| 2021-22 | 82 | 54 | 21 | 7 | 115 | 2nd in Atlantic |
| 2022-23 | 82 | 50 | 21 | 11 | 111 | 2nd in Atlantic |
| 2023-24 | 82 | 46 | 26 | 10 | 102 | 3rd in Atlantic |
| Total | 349 | 212 | 97 | 40 |
Playoff record
When it comes to the playoffs, it's an entirely different story for the Leafs under Keefe. He ends his time with a postseason record of 16-21 and just one playoff round win.
| Playoffs | Games | Wins | Losses | Result |
| 2020 | 5 | 2 | 3 | Lost in qualifying round vs. Blue Jackets |
| 2021 | 7 | 3 | 4 | Lost in first round vs. Canadiens |
| 2022 | 7 | 3 | 4 | Lost in first round vs. Lightning |
| 2023 | 11 | 5 | 6 | Lost in second round vs. Panthers |
| 2024 | 7 | 3 | 4 | Lost in first round vs. Bruins |
