The New Jersey Devils came into Tuesday night’s game with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a bit of motivation. Their head coach, Sheldon Keefe, was returning to the city he called home for five seasons. And he had yet to win a game in the city as a visitor.
This changed on Tuesday night. Jack Hughes scored a hat trick while Jesper Bratt recorded three assists. New Jersey skated to a rather comfortable 5-2 win at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. And this marked the Devils’ fifth straight win after an opening night loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
This win certainly means something to Keefe, considering his history with the Maple Leafs. However, the New Jersey bench boss downplayed the personal significance. It was definitely a special moment, but the personal significance wasn’t as high as some may have believed.
“I mean, we’re a year late, I’d say, from it meaning a whole lot,” he said, via NHL.com. “But listen, I’ve got a lot of people here who are waiting to talk to me and a lot of people in the building. So, yeah, it’s a special place for me, always will be. And it does certainly feel a lot better coming out on the winning side.”
Sheldon Keefe Led Current Maple Leafs Core For Years
Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesSheldon Keefe spent nearly a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs as head coach.
Keefe was appointed as head coach of the Maple Leafs in November 2019. Toronto had dismissed Mike Babcock, and looked to Keefe to lead this team to the postseason. He delivered playoff hockey in every season he coached the team.
However, Keefe could not take Toronto on any meaningful playoff run. The Maple Leafs advanced past the first round just once — in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they were quickly eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the second round.
In 2024, Keefe and the Leafs met the Boston Bruins in the first round. The series went to seven games, and even went into a sudden-death overtime in the winner-take-all contest. However, the Bruins won the game. This resulted in Toronto firing Keefe.
The veteran bench boss was hired by the Devils before the 2024-25 season. He led New Jersey to a third-place finish in the Metropolitan Division. Unfortunately, injuries piled up as the season went on. And the Devils were eliminated by the Hurricanes in round one of the playoffs.
Devils’ Keefe Sings Jack Hughes Praise
Keefe focused his energy on New Jersey’s performance on Tuesday rather than his personal feelings. And he directed a ton of his attention toward Hughes. The Devils star now has six goals and nine points in six games following his hat trick against Toronto.
“I mean, Jack, he’s just so smart out there that he’s going to pick his spots incredibly well,” Keefe said, via NHL.com. “I mean, these last two games in particular, the puck’s been glued to his stick. And his speed, his skating, has been world class. So he’s putting himself in great spots, and he’s controlling the play.”
New Jersey is looking really good despite its initial stumble to open the season. There’s certainly a long way to go this season. However, the Devils are gaining early-season confidence, and that can only bring positives as the season rolls along.
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