Sheldon Keefe, Maple Leafs Agree to 2-Year Contract Extension amid NHL Offseason

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has been signed to a multi-year contract extension, the franchise announced Wednesday.

The extension is for two years, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said in the announcement:

“Since I’ve joined the Maple Leafs, I’ve been very impressed with Sheldon. 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.”

Keefe added:

“Coaching this team has been a great privilege, and I’m truly excited at the opportunity to continue building towards our ultimate goal. 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.”

Keefe joined the Maple Leafs in June 2015 as head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate Toronto Marlies, leading the team to a Calder Cup championship in 2018 before being hired as head coach of the NHL club in November 2019.

The 42-year-old has coached the Maple Leafs to a 166-71-30 record in his four seasons and also led the team to single-season franchise records in wins (54) and points (115) during the 2021-22 campaign.

Toronto has a .622 winning percentage under Keefe, which ranks behind only the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes in that span.

However, the Maple Leafs are 13-17 in the postseason under Keefe despite boasting a highly talented roster that includes Austin Matthews, Mitchell Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

Toronto made it out of the first round last season for the first time since the 2003-04 season, but it suffered a disappointing second-round loss to the Florida Panthers in five games.

Given Keefe’s extension, the Maple Leafs must feel he can be the guy to get them over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since the 1966-67 season when they won their last title.