The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Mike Babcock and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. Keefe had been coaching the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Team president Brendan Shanahan released a statement on the move:
Today, we made the decision to relieve Mike Babcock of his coaching duties and named Sheldon Keefe our new head coach. Over parts of the last five seasons, Mike has played an integral role in changing the direction of our franchise.
Mike’s commitment and tireless work ethic has put our organization in a better place and we are extremely grateful and appreciative of the foundation he has helped us build here.
At this time, we collectively felt that it was best to make a change to Sheldon Keefe. Sheldon’s record with the Marlies in terms of development and on-ice success during his time in our organization has compelled us all to feel that he is the right person to take us to the next stage in our evolution.
Technically, Babcock has only been relieved of his duties as coach and is still under contract with the Maple Leafs. That eight-year, $50MM contract was the biggest deal ever given to an NHL coach and still has three more seasons on it. Babcock will likely be allowed to pursue other opportunities, but compensation for coaches (or executives) is no longer a part of the CBA.
Originally hired in May, 2015, Babcock was tasked with turning around a franchise that hadn’t shown much promise for years. In his first season the team tore apart the roster and sunk to the very bottom of the league, securing the first-overall pick, Auston Matthews, in the process. After that things trended upwards very quickly, with Matthews and the rest of their rookie class—including Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown—sneaking the team into the playoffs where they valiantly battled the top seeded Washington Capitals.
Two consecutive years of first-round disappointment followed against the Boston Bruins however, with Babcock struggling to find an answer for Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. After sweeping changes to the defense corps this summer, things were going even worse.
Toronto has lost six consecutive games and enter tomorrow’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with a 9-10-4 record, something unacceptable for a group that includes three of the highest-paid forwards in the league. New captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner have both been out of the lineup due to injury, but the defense has been even worse than before even with the addition of Tyson Barrie.
Keefe will take over that underperforming roster in his first stint behind an NHL bench, but comes as perhaps the most decorated coaching prospect in hockey. Once a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and veteran of 125 NHL games as a player, Keefe took to coaching after an early retirement and has found success at every level.
A four-time CJHL champion as head coach, GM and owner of the Pembrooke Lumber Kings of the CJHL, Keefe was actually given his first job in the CHL when now-Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was running the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was named CHL coach of the year in 2015, before joining the Marlies and leading them to a Calder Cup championship in 2018.
Now, with all the pressure that comes as head coach of the Maple Leafs, Keefe will get a chance to show he is ready for the NHL. The organization better hope he is, as they need wins now if the playoffs are still a realistic goal.
What?
Hahahahahahah
Definite wake up call for the players. However, if they don’t respond or the results remain the same, the blame will quickly shift from Babcock to Dubas/Shanahan.
How’s it a wake up call? Players were having player only meetings and many media personnel were speculating that the team was protesting his systems. Players are happy he’s gone and take it as a win, Mike Commadore is getting liquored in saddle town
how about a wake up call to stop having player-only meetings because most coaches wouldn’t tolerate that.
whoops, that was meant to be a response to the above response
Are you suggesting players only meetings are bad lol
Wow! All the eggs in one basket for the boy wonder GM now. Shanahan risking his job on this one!
Thank god
Cody Ceci broke the Leafs
Ceci? Si!Si!
Funniest thing I read all day
He’s a good coach but his stubbornness got him fired.
Wow!!!! Babcock had never been fired previously.
Some foolish team will give him another shot because of his name.
Babcock has been living off his cup runs for far to long.
It’s almost like it had more to do with having prime Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, etc and not Babcock himself.
Babcock would not agree with you there. According to babs he’s god gift to hockey and the greatest mind in sports. That and he’s never seen a mirror he didn’t like
I can’t wait to see comments from our favorite MLBTR hockey poster who follows this specific team lol
This is a guy that has pissed odd more players than anyone since probably Keenan.
Off not odd…
Back to the Ducks??
Babs really did bet on Babs! Unfortunately, for him, it came up Snake Eyes! Now, the only question is, does Sheldon Keefe take over, or will get they get a dark horse from the venerable Slobovian Beer League?
Clarification: Will Sheldon be more than just “interim”? (officially or otherwise)
Put Don Cherry in as GM, that will wake up the coasting sleepy heads.
I wonder how weird it was for Babcock to be fired by one of his former players?
This hopefully means that they can change the stubborn defence pairings. Let Ceci have Muzzin be his caddy, see what Rielly can do with Barrie.
neo,
Reilly is horrible defensively !
If they are each such liabilities that they can’t get on course, at least management can learn that they need entirely different players to spend money on if they want to win. What good are these players if you have to keep them tied to a defenceman who can compensate for his partner’s defensive limitations? You have to overtax some especially skilled defensive player to make an idiot playable?
If they can’t sign or acquire more complete defenceman then they will have to develop them somehow. Sink or swim time now for some players they have.
as we shall see, when you expect you will be disappointed and don’t believe in people, those people will not thrive. Instill them with confidence and watch them grow. Rielly will be paired with Barrie for the larger run of the season. They can handle it.
They will be better but not sure by how much. Keefe needs to sit some guys who are not buying in. Just like DJ Smith did in Ottawa. Got everybody’s attention.
Funny how this was done in Arizona. Years ago Babcock flew to Zona to meet Matthews to get on the same page. Now this happens in Arizona coincidence I think not. I’m sure Matthews had some say in this.
What happened in Vegas ended in Vegas.