NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Less than two weeks after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe has been hired by the New Jersey Devils and given the task of turning a young team led by a superstar forward into a Stanley Cup contender.
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald announced the hiring on Thursday, saying Keefe would be introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.
This was an invigorating process for me, having met with many qualified candidates and hearing how attractive this position was to them,” Fitzgerald said. “Sheldon jumped to the top of my list when he became available, and I was thrilled when he agreed to be a part of what we are building here. He is an excellent communicator, believes in collaboration and will take what he has learned previously to make this team a Stanley Cup contender.”
In Toronto, Keefe had Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to lead the team to five consecutive playoff berths. New Jersey has young forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischer, both No. 1 overall draft picks
