Keefe shares behind the scenes details of getting fired by Leafs
The Devils' new head coach calls out his old team.
The New Jersey Devils officially unveiled Sheldon Keefe as the 20th head coach in team history this morning with an introductory media press conference.
Keefe, of course, was dismissed from the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this month after failing to advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Keefe was asked about his dismissal from the Leafs and how negotiations played out with the Devils in the aftermath when he offered up some pretty interesting behind-the-scenes details.
When asked about his firing in Toronto, Keefe says he, "didn't get much sleep the day he was let go as coach of the Leafs. I had a pretty good sense that day I was getting called in for a meeting."
Moments later he was fired and he immediately shot his now infamous 'farewell video' and posted it on social media. Just a couple hours later while he and his wife were out to lunch he received an offer to coach the Devils.
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald let Keefe know that, "if he wanted the job, it was his."
From there it was almost just a formality.
Keefe saw the opportunity to get out of Toronto and jumped. "This is a fresh start and a great opportunity ahead," he said today. "It's completely unique and different."
As for what he's taking from his time in Toronto, the coach had a bit of a parting shot saying, "After five years and six playoff rounds, I'm a far better coach than when I arrived in the NHL."
