CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe says goodbye to Toronto.
WATCH as Sheldon Keefe, now former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach, has been released of his duties by MLSE. From an undisclosed place Keefe says his final goodbyes to his former bosses, players and Leafs Nation.
“My job as a head coach is to find solutions and to chart a path ahead for the group to come through and to succeed at the most important time of the year, and we haven’t done that,” Keefe said.
He finishes with a .665 points percentage in the regular season and .432 in the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs also have to decide the status of their Core Four, whose cap hits total more than $45 million. Nylander and Matthews are signed long-term, but captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner are entering the final years of their contracts. Both have no-movement clauses.
The two are eligible to sign extensions after July 1 if the Maple Leafs choose that route. Marner said a long-term contract in Toronto is his goal.
“Obviously, we’re looked at as kind of gods here, to be honest, and it’s something that you really appreciate,” he said. “The love that you get here from this fanbase and this attention is not like any other.”
