He thus becomes the 18th NHL head coach to have lost his job in the past twelve months. That's huge.
Leafs GM Treliving: «Today's decision was difficult. Sheldon is an excellent coach and a great man; however, we determined a new voice is needed to help the team push through to reach our ultimate goal. We thank Sheldon for his hard work and dedication to the organization over the last nine years, and wish him and his family all the very best.»
Indeed, that's not all! Keefe had just signed a new contract with the Leafs, a new contract that hadn't even started yet! (a first)
"The Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. He has two years left on a contract extension that hasn't even officially taken effect yet." - Chris Johnston
Clearly, they wanted change and they wanted someone to blame for the team's lack of success in the playoffs.
