Devils’ Keefe sees return to Toronto as final cutting of the cord from Maple Leafs

TORONTO – From eating dinner at home with his wife and sons the night before a big Leafs game to fighting Gardiner traffic on the way to morning skate, to entering through his usual Scotiabank Arena door and walking past the Raptors locker room, everything felt the same for Sheldon Keefe as it had since the winter of 2019.

Except his walk to work through the bowels of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ rink ended at the visitors’ quarters, roughly 100 metres shy of the big, cushy dressing room.

“Just stopped short this time,” smiled the head coach of the New Jersey Devils, joking that portion of the event-level’s wall nearest his team’s temporary dressing room had been painted Devils red in his honour.

“So, all that’s very familiar. But of course, it will be a little different on the other bench here tonight.”

Keefe will assume the enemy side of centre for the first time in Toronto tonight.

And although he’s already twice faced the core he coached through five successful regular seasons and five post-season disappointments — a pair of Devils losses in Newark — Keefe agrees that a homecoming in black and red signals the final cutting of the cord.

Few Maple Leafs coaches have exited as gracefully as Keefe, who took the gig as a Calder Cup champ with the Marlies and as an NHL rookie.

The expectations for the team always seemed higher than for Keefe individually, and he did guide the group to its best regular-season points percentage and its only playoff series victory of the past 21 years.

From all angles — the players, the organization, the fans and pundits, and Keefe himself — there was a sense, when he filmed his “Leafs Nation!” lakeside farewell, that the time had come.

Everyone was ready for a change.

“It’s probably not the most ideal situation for your first coaching job in the NHL. However, I do feel like I benefitted greatly from experiencing that, because I think it’s a special opportunity. Very unique in the league, both in the talent that is there and the organization and how it runs and the expectations and the pressure and the fan base and such.

“I grew a lot through that. I believe I’ve got thicker skin as a result. I think I’ve been through a lot there that’s helped me grow quicker than normal, and I think I’ve come out the other side of it all right. I feel like I was all the more prepared coming into this job. I feel like I’m sort of ready for anything that comes up. Any experience helps you grow. With that experience, it probably speeds up the growth process.”

The expectations for the team always seemed higher than for Keefe individually, and he did guide the group to its best regular-season points percentage and its only playoff series victory of the past 21 years.

From all angles — the players, the organization, the fans and pundits, and Keefe himself — there was a sense, when he filmed his “Leafs Nation!” lakeside farewell, that the time had come.

Everyone was ready for a change.

“It’s probably not the most ideal situation for your first coaching job in the NHL. However, I do feel like I benefitted greatly from experiencing that, because I think it’s a special opportunity. Very unique in the league, both in the talent that is there and the organization and how it runs and the expectations and the pressure and the fan base and such.

“I grew a lot through that. I believe I’ve got thicker skin as a result. I think I’ve been through a lot there that’s helped me grow quicker than normal, and I think I’ve come out the other side of it all right. I feel like I was all the more prepared coming into this job. I feel like I’m sort of ready for anything that comes up. Any experience helps you grow. With that experience, it probably speeds up the growth process.”

The Devils (26-15-5) arrive a better squad under Keefe, who catches successor Craig Berube’s bunch on a season-worst three-game losing skid.

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Berube can relate to the younger coach, for he experienced a return to the city that fired him just a couple months back.

“There’s emotions, for sure. He was here a long time, did a fabulous job and got close to a lot of people and players,” Berube said. “Emotions run up on ya a little bit. But we all sign up for this job, and we all get fired at some point.”

True.

But not all coaches leave their young family in the city that let them go.

Keefe’s wife Jackie and their 12- and 14-year-old sons still live in Toronto so as not to disrupt their friendships and support system.

Young Wyatt and Landon are heavily involved in competitive hockey and lacrosse, and Sheldon says he knew that his post-Leafs job would mean commuting.

That’s partly why Newark is such a great fit. Plenty of talent, plus a short flight back to that Gardiner traffic and familiar kitchen table.

“I’ve spent many off days back here in Toronto as well, connecting with them,” said Keefe, who has nothing but gratitude for his nine years as a pro coach in this town.

“I loved every second of being a Leafs coach. You can just tell by the fact that I left my family here, I’m very comfortable here.”

Those aren’t just words.

Outside of the black track suit, Keefe looked every bit at home patrolling the halls of SBA on a game day. He was quick with a smile and happy to field more than 13 minutes’ worth of questions from a mob of reporters that would dwarf any media attendance on Prudential Center weeknight.

His reception may not reach standing-ovation levels, but it should be warm.

“I mean, I don’t think it’ll be a negative one. He had a lot of successful teams here. Obviously didn’t get it done in the playoffs,” Toronto’s Jake McCabe said. “But I don’t think there’s any bad blood there.”

No bad blood on either side.

But that doesn’t mean Keefe wouldn’t love to extend the Leafs’ losing skid to four games, especially since Toronto spoiled his home opener and Anthony Stolarz ruined one of New Jersey’s most dominant efforts.

Just don’t ask Keefe to throw any money on that visitors’ room board.

“I had a fair amount on the first game when we played these guys in the home opener, and it did not go well,” Keefe said, with a grin.

“So, I’m not revisiting that. We’re going to play for the points tonight.”

Safe to say, a little pride and revenge might be on the line as well.

One-Timers: John Tavares is week-to-week with a lower-body injury…. Devils forward Stefan Noesen (17 goals) will miss the game due to illness…. Ryan Reaves and Simon Benoit will be healthy scratched…. Fraser Minten was recalled by Toronto, but Berube wants him to practise before putting him in the lineup.

Maple Leafs projected lineup Thursday vs. New Jersey Devils:

Knies – Matthews – Marner
Pacioretty – Domi – Nylander
McMann – Holmberg – Robertson

Dewar – Kämpf – Lorentz

Rielly – Myers
McCabe – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Timmins

Woll starts
Hildeby