The New Jersey Devils held their exit meetings on Wednesday after missing the playoffs for the first time in a season they had just gotten into, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Expectations were high for the team, but it fell short, and that cost Tom Fitzgerald his job. It could cost head coach Sheldon Keefe his job.
Sheldon Keefe: “I Believe I Can Be Part of the Solution”
There is still no path or direction the Devils will take on whether to choose one person or two. But the team is getting a new general manager. Keefe met with the media and was asked yet again about his job status moving forward. He reiterated, as he has all season, that it is out of his control, but believes he can be part of the solution.
DevilsNation.com Transcriptions
Reporter: “Sheldon, what have your conversations with the higher-ups been like? Obviously, there is no GM, so I would imagine it would be ownership. Do you expect to be back next season?”
Sheldon Keefe: “Nothing’s changed in that regard since we spoke last. Now that the season’s completed, I’m sure there’ll be a process here, a chance for some discussion, and we’ll see where that goes. I don’t have an expectation at this point, other than I just got to continue to do my job, which I’ve been directed to do, which is to get through the season, to have these discussions with the players, as you normally would have at the end of the season.
Sheldon Keefe: “You Don’t Follow the Plan and Execute, That’s What You Get“
I approach it like any other, and we’ll see where things go from here. But can tell you that I want to be part of the solution here, and I believe I can be. I think that my experience in my time here, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned a lot about this team, more importantly, and the players within it and where it needs to go.
I think I can be a great ally and partner for whoever does come in here, and I think I have a good sense of the team and where we need to improve upon on the ice as well. So between the personalities and the systems and the tactics and all these kind of things that go into building a team, I know I’m in a far better position now than I was when I first came in here two seasons ago.
So to that end, I’m hopeful that I’ll have an opportunity, and we’ll be passionate about trying to remain here, but that’s out of my control. And the organization will make the decision when they seem fit.”
So Sheldon Keefe understands this is a business. As he stated when Fitzgerald and the Devils parted ways, he knows he will be part of the evaluation process. But it is not an easy feeling, given there is no general manager in place.
New Jersey Devils Are Answering Sheldon Keefe’s Mental Toughness Question
Remember, Sheldon Keefe was let go by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the year they made the playoffs, only to lose in the first round to the Boston Bruins. Given this season’s results and the fact that there will be a regime, no one would be shocked if the Devils decided to go in another direction.
The players like Sheldon Keefe understand that he is demanding. As the players repeatedly stated, it is a hard league, and they have borne the burden as well. Not just the coach or the general manager. However, given what history has shown, it is rare for the head coach to stay after the new GM is hired.
While the New York Islanders, under new GM Mathieu Darche, kept Patrick Roy, Darche ultimately made a coaching change late in the season, moving Roy off and hiring Pete DeBoer. It is highly unlikely that the situation will play out in New Jersey.
As of now, Sheldon Keefe is the head coach of the New Jersey Devils until he is not.
