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The worst-kept secret involving the Maple Leafs this summer time grew to become a actuality on Wednesday.
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Coach Sheldon Keefe has been signed to a multi-year extension, a matter that was among the many high gadgets on normal supervisor Brad Treliving’s to-do record together with re-signing celebrity centre Auston Matthews. The Keefe extension, which is for 2 years and can carry by means of the 2025-26 season, comes every week after Matthews signed a four-year extension.
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Upon being employed as GM on the finish of Might following the firing of Kyle Dubas, Treliving didn’t want a lot time to return away with a constructive impression of Keefe. In numerous media availabilities in the course of the summer time, Treliving emphasised that.
“Since I’ve joined the Maple Leafs, I’ve been very impressed with Sheldon,” Treliving stated in an announcement on Wednesday. “He has proven nice management abilities along with his workers and our gamers and has a transparent imaginative and prescient for this staff and the place it must get to.
“Sheldon has established himself as one of many high coaches within the league and I sit up for working alongside him as we head into the upcoming season.”
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Keefe, who turns 43 in September, has compiled a regular-season document of 166-71-30 since taking up from Mike Babcock in November 2019. In Leafs historical past, solely 5 coaches — Punch Imlach (370), Pat Quinn (300), Hap Day (259), Dick Irvin (215) and Babcock (173) — have recorded extra victories behind the membership’s bench.
The Leafs’ .622 successful share beneath Keefe is fourth-best within the Nationwide Hockey League throughout his tenure, behind solely Boston, Colorado and Carolina.
In fact, what issues most is successful the Stanley Cup, and the Leafs haven’t come shut beneath anybody since Quinn. For Keefe and the Leafs, there might be an try and construct off the second-round defeat in opposition to the Florida Panthers as soon as the common season begins in October. Previous to beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six video games this previous spring, the Leafs had not gained a playoff sequence since 2004.
“Teaching this staff has been an amazing privilege, and I’m actually excited on the alternative to proceed constructing in the direction of our final objective,” Keefe stated in an announcement. “I’m grateful for the assist from MLSE and its possession together with Brendan Shanahan and Brad Treliving, who I’ve actually loved attending to know and work with this low season. We now have so many nice gamers and folks inside our group that I’m grateful to work with, and collectively our dedication to staff success stays steadfast.”