The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed head coach Sheldon Keefe to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the deal is a two-year extension. Keefe was entering the final year of his contract in 2023-24. Leafs general manager Brad Treliving confirmed the term during Wednesday’s video call with the media.
“I think Sheldon is a top coach,” Treliving said during the video call. “When you’ve got good people, you want to keep them. … This gets done because I think we have a good coach here.”
Keefe was hired as head coach to replace Mike Babcock on Nov. 20, 2019, after coaching Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Marlies. Keefe has a 166-71-30 record over four seasons with the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s .622 winning percentage during that time is fourth in the NHL.
“Since I’ve joined the Maple Leafs, I’ve been very impressed with Sheldon,” added Treliving, who was hired in June, in a statement issued by the team. “He has shown great leadership skills with his staff and our players, and has a clear vision for this team and where it needs to get to. Sheldon has established himself as one of the top coaches in the league and I look forward to working alongside him as we head into the upcoming season.”
“Coaching this team has been a great privilege, and I’m truly excited at the opportunity to continue building towards our ultimate goal,” Keefe said in a statement. “I’m thankful for the support from MLSE and its ownership along with Brendan Shanahan and Brad Treliving, who I’ve really enjoyed getting to know and work with this off-season. We have so many great players and people within our organization that I’m grateful to work with, and together our commitment to team success remains steadfast.”
The Maple Leafs finished second in the Atlantic Division last season with a 50-21-11 record. Toronto defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round for its first series win since 2004, but was swept by the Florida Panthers in Round 2.
