Sheldon Keefe exposes the major difference in pressure levels between Toronto and New Jersey
The coach of Toronto Maple Leafs has one of the toughest jobs in the NHL, and after leaving that role, Sheldon Keefe appears to be under much different pressure.
For the past five years, the Toronto Maple Leafs relied on Sheldon Keefe to lead the team forward, and while they consistently performed well in the regular season, the team just couldn't put it together in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning just one series in his tenure. This led to the team parting ways with Keefe this off-season, as he quickly found a new role with the New Jersey Devils, and already, he's made it clear just how different the levels of pressure are in the two teams.
The latest example of this came after the Devils loss in the pre-season opener, with Keefe finding reporters after the game and promptly apologizing, with the group quickly saying 'it's only pre-season'.
It appears as though Keefe is still getting used to the different pressures from the media in New Jersey, as the team also explained their curse of an undefeated pre-season a year ago that led to a poor regular season, and as both parties get acclimatized to each other, it's likely that he'll become a very popular coach in New Jersey.
Sure, results and performance certainly matter, but in the pre-season, it doesn't matter anywhere near as much as it does when the season kicks off for real, and his apologetic nature shows just how much pressure there is to be perfect in Toronto year round. With a team loaded with speed, talent and star power, the Devils are expected to play a major role in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the East this season, so Keefe hasn't escaped the pressure permanently, but in Canada it's a different beast, and it's safe to say that Keefe is excited to be away from that.
| POLL | ||
23 SEPTEMBRE | 192 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe exposes the major difference in pressure levels between Toronto and New Jersey Will the New Jersey Devils go further than the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024/25? | ||
| Yes | 91 | 47.4 % |
| No | 101 | 52.6 % |
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