Sheldon Keefe has posted a thank you video after the former head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs was fired on Thursday. Keefe said in the intro that he didn’t think a letter was enough, so he used a touching video on the waterfront to thank the organization, fans, media, and others for his time with the Toronto Marlies and Maple Leafs.
Keefe Realizes He Didn’t Get the Job Done in the Playoffs
Understanding the pitfalls of not winning when it matters most, Keefe said:
I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs, a dream come true for a boy from Brampton. I want to thank Kyle Dubas, Lou Lamoriello, Brandom Pridham, Brendan Shanahan, Larry Tannenbaum and the MLSC board for giving me this opportunity to work with the Marlies and Leafs. I didn’t get it done to the playoffs. I didn’t help push our team over the line and deliver. I accept responsibility for that, no excuses. That’s the job and I didn’t get it done. It’s a reality of the business and I accept it.
According to Sportsnet stats, Keefe had the best regular season PTS% (min. 300 games) at .665. He was followed by Rod Brind’Amour: .664 and Scotty Bowman: .657. Unfortunately, he was among the worst when it came to his playoff series record (min. 5 series): Frank Patrick: 0-7 (.000) Bob Berry: 1-7 (.125) Sheldon Keefe: 1-5 (.167).
Keefe Thanked the Fans and Players
He then went on to thank the players and the fans. He noted:
“To the players, I appreciate all your efforts. Your talent and your work ethic made me look good on a lot of nights. Anyone who suited up for blue and white, I appreciate you. To the support staff for the Maple Leafs, you’re tremendous people and are elite at what you do. The players and the support staff will drive the team to success. I believe it will win. Leafs Nation deserves a Stanley Cup. Your passion at home and on the road is unmatched.”
He then thanked the media, who he noted he had to deal with every day, sometimes twice or three times. He appreciated they had a process and he said they were honest and fair and had a job to do. “I hope you appreciate the fact that I help you do it.”
Keefe noted, “I don’t know what comes next but I’ll be ready for it. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy getting my family the time that they deserve. “”Love you all. Be well.”
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