Toronto Maple Leafs sign head coach Sheldon Keefe to contract extension

Sheldon Keefe will be sticking around as bench boss in Toronto for the foreseeable future.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Wednesday that the club had signed Keefe to a two-year contract extension to remain as head coach of the organization. Keefe was entering the final year of his contract.

Keefe helped lead the Leafs to a 50-21-11 record during the 2022-23 season, finishing second in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs managed to weave through the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and advanced to the second round for the first time in 19 years—a big coaching accomplishment.

“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 said in a statement released Wednesday.

“Coaching this team has been a great privilege, and I’m truly excited at the opportunity to continue building towards our ultimate goal,” said Keefe. “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 42-year-old joined the Leafs as head coach in 2019-20, replacing the fired Mike Babcock. Through four seasons with the club, he has coached the team to a 166-71-30 record to rank him sixth in wins in franchise history. Since Keefe has taken over the Leafs, they have posted a .622 winning percentage, ranking them only behind the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes in that span, which includes two back-to-back 50-win campaigns. During the 2021-22 season, the Leafs set a franchise record with 54 wins and 115 points.

“Since I’ve joined the Maple Leafs, I’ve been very impressed with Sheldon,” Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said in a press release. “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. 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.”