Latest news with #SheldonKeefe
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Keefe siblings united by hockey despite Atlantic separation
When Adam Keefe signed up to play for the Belfast Giants in 2011, he couldn't have imagined how lifechanging that decision was going to be. He had been hoping to follow in his older brother Sheldon's footsteps and make it to the National Hockey League (NHL), the ultimate goal of every Canadian who laces up the skates. Advertisement Sheldon, four years older than Adam, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1999 and went on to make his NHL debut the following season, but ultimately his playing career was curtailed because of injury. "It's hard to get to the NHL and I was lucky enough to play at least some exhibition games and play at that level and get a taste of it," said Adam. "Ultimately, I fell short and was getting a little tired. I was getting a little older and I wanted to see the world and experience something new. "With our last name being Keefe, it was always a kind of a bucket list thing to visit the homeland. Advertisement "Finally, the opportunity came through a Facebook message from the coach of the Giants, Doug Christiansen. It was my first chance and I jumped on it. "I thought it would just be a one-year deal and I'd probably go back home and do ultimately what I did here, probably in Toledo." However, the younger Keefe sibling would never make that trip to Toledo. He won Elite League in his first season with the Giants and captained the side to another title victory in 2014. By then he was well established as a leader and a fan favourite, a team-mate that you could rely on to drop the gloves and defend his brothers on the ice. Advertisement Keefe's transition to coach in 2017 was a seamless move for the Giants. It kept the line of succession in place, despite no prior experience in the role. What followed has been the most sustained run of success in the club's twenty-five-year history. Ten trophies - four league championships, five Challenge Cups and a Play-off title - in six full seasons (two were lost due to Covid-19), including a Grand Slam in 2023. "I just fell in love with the city and winning and the fans here. Obviously, I met my wife and have two girls, so I'm locked into Northern Ireland. "It's been a great experience for me and a fun one." Advertisement Giants' fans echo mutual support for 'the heartbeat' of the Belfast side and they recently showed their appreciation at Adam's testimonial when his number 47 shirt was retired, the ultimate honour for a player. 'I wasn't going to mess with him much more' Sheldon made his first trip to Belfast for the event. Since his playing days came to an end, Adam's older brother made his way up through the coaching ranks all the way back to the NHL. He was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019-2024 and has just finished his first season in charge of the New Jersey Devils, leading them to the play-offs. Advertisement Sheldon's first impressions of Belfast have been favourable. "I love the city, just walking around and being here in the building and getting a feel for the hockey part of it. "You can see why there's so much passion here for Giants hockey and why Adam fell in love with the city and the team." Growing up together just outside of Toronto, both Keefe brothers were soon on the hockey pathway. "I don't know about brotherly rivalry so much," explained Sheldon. "I mean, there's maybe enough separation with four years that I think I had my way for a lot of the time. Advertisement "But it maybe contributed to some of the edge that he ended up developing in playing. "Certainly, as Adam got older, it was very clear I wasn't going to mess with him much more. "We were playing hockey, fighting in the basement, competing in the driveway and on the street and he quite often was playing with my friends and having to try to compete." Adam agreed, "A lot of times it's him and his friends playing street hockey and you're four years younger than those guys. "You got to work extra hard and sometimes you're going to get knocked down. "So, if you want to stay in there, you got to learn to fight back and I certainly did that. Advertisement "Obviously, he's provided a great example for me and set a very high standard that is difficult to try to keep up with. "He took care of me through critical years when I was a teenager and set me on a good path. "Then to follow his career while I was trying to make the NHL, to follow his coaching career and see that he just kind of kept winning right from the time he started. "Then ultimately to claw his way back to the NHL as a coach becoming one of the youngest coaches in the league and then to coach arguably the biggest hockey club in the world. That's very special." 'His life is all about the hockey' Adam's success as a coach has come as no surprise to Sheldon. In his words, "life's been all about hockey". Advertisement "I think we can both say we would be a little lost without the game. "If I look at my own transition into coaching, when you maybe first get into it, for me, at least, I didn't know what I was doing at all. "But you're relying on your competitiveness, your passion for the game, your work ethic, all the things that help you play at a high level, and that gives you a strong foundation. "I knew Adam was going to commit and be all in on everything that he's doing and while learning and refining any skills that you need as a coach, you're going to have the respect of your players because of everything that you put in to help them and the team. Advertisement "He's been an absolute competitor and a guy that will do anything to win for his entire life." Sheldon has helped Adam out with player recruitment and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Belfast as a playing destination. "I've followed enough to know the standard of the Elite League and that it just continues to improve and get better and better. "Seeing the arena and seeing the city and community, it would be a great draw for players to come and get the life experience but still play great hockey. "As I watch the young kids playing as well, there is lots of excitement about growing the game here too." Advertisement Despite enjoying his Testimonial weekend where the Giants once again gave back to the community raising over £109,000 for the Northern Ireland Hospice, the new season is never far from Adam's mind. "Champions League is right around the corner. "August is going to come around pretty quick, and nobody cares about last year.'
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Keefe siblings united by hockey despite Atlantic separation
When Adam Keefe signed up to play for the Belfast Giants in 2011, he couldn't have imagined how lifechanging that decision was going to had been hoping to follow in his older brother Sheldon's footsteps and make it to the National Hockey League (NHL), the ultimate goal of every Canadian who laces up the four years older than Adam, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1999 and went on to make his NHL debut the following season, but ultimately his playing career was curtailed because of injury."It's hard to get to the NHL and I was lucky enough to play at least some exhibition games and play at that level and get a taste of it," said Adam."Ultimately, I fell short and was getting a little tired. I was getting a little older and I wanted to see the world and experience something new."With our last name being Keefe, it was always a kind of a bucket list thing to visit the homeland."Finally, the opportunity came through a Facebook message from the coach of the Giants, Doug Christiansen. It was my first chance and I jumped on it."I thought it would just be a one-year deal and I'd probably go back home and do ultimately what I did here, probably in Toledo." However, the younger Keefe sibling would never make that trip to won Elite League in his first season with the Giants and captained the side to another title victory in then he was well established as a leader and a fan favourite, a team-mate that you could rely on to drop the gloves and defend his brothers on the transition to coach in 2017 was a seamless move for the Giants. It kept the line of succession in place, despite no prior experience in the followed has been the most sustained run of success in the club's twenty-five-year trophies - four league championships, five Challenge Cups and a Play-off title - in six full seasons (two were lost due to Covid-19), including a Grand Slam in 2023."I just fell in love with the city and winning and the fans here. Obviously, I met my wife and have two girls, so I'm locked into Northern Ireland."It's been a great experience for me and a fun one."Giants' fans echo mutual support for 'the heartbeat' of the Belfast side and they recently showed their appreciation at Adam's testimonial when his number 47 shirt was retired, the ultimate honour for a player. 'I wasn't going to mess with him much more' Sheldon made his first trip to Belfast for the event. Since his playing days came to an end, Adam's older brother made his way up through the coaching ranks all the way back to the was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019-2024 and has just finished his first season in charge of the New Jersey Devils, leading them to the first impressions of Belfast have been favourable."I love the city, just walking around and being here in the building and getting a feel for the hockey part of it."You can see why there's so much passion here for Giants hockey and why Adam fell in love with the city and the team."Growing up together just outside of Toronto, both Keefe brothers were soon on the hockey pathway."I don't know about brotherly rivalry so much," explained Sheldon."I mean, there's maybe enough separation with four years that I think I had my way for a lot of the time."But it maybe contributed to some of the edge that he ended up developing in playing."Certainly, as Adam got older, it was very clear I wasn't going to mess with him much more."We were playing hockey, fighting in the basement, competing in the driveway and on the street and he quite often was playing with my friends and having to try to compete."Adam agreed, "A lot of times it's him and his friends playing street hockey and you're four years younger than those guys."You got to work extra hard and sometimes you're going to get knocked down."So, if you want to stay in there, you got to learn to fight back and I certainly did that."Obviously, he's provided a great example for me and set a very high standard that is difficult to try to keep up with."He took care of me through critical years when I was a teenager and set me on a good path."Then to follow his career while I was trying to make the NHL, to follow his coaching career and see that he just kind of kept winning right from the time he started."Then ultimately to claw his way back to the NHL as a coach becoming one of the youngest coaches in the league and then to coach arguably the biggest hockey club in the world. That's very special." 'His life is all about the hockey' Adam's success as a coach has come as no surprise to Sheldon. In his words, "life's been all about hockey"."I think we can both say we would be a little lost without the game."If I look at my own transition into coaching, when you maybe first get into it, for me, at least, I didn't know what I was doing at all."But you're relying on your competitiveness, your passion for the game, your work ethic, all the things that help you play at a high level, and that gives you a strong foundation."I knew Adam was going to commit and be all in on everything that he's doing and while learning and refining any skills that you need as a coach, you're going to have the respect of your players because of everything that you put in to help them and the team."He's been an absolute competitor and a guy that will do anything to win for his entire life."Sheldon has helped Adam out with player recruitment and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Belfast as a playing destination."I've followed enough to know the standard of the Elite League and that it just continues to improve and get better and better."Seeing the arena and seeing the city and community, it would be a great draw for players to come and get the life experience but still play great hockey."As I watch the young kids playing as well, there is lots of excitement about growing the game here too."Despite enjoying his Testimonial weekend where the Giants once again gave back to the community raising over £109,000 for the Northern Ireland Hospice, the new season is never far from Adam's mind."Champions League is right around the corner."August is going to come around pretty quick, and nobody cares about last year.'
National Post
19-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Craig Berube latest Leafs coach to experience no playoff pay-off
Article content Article content Like his two immediate predecessors, Mike Babcock and Sheldon Keefe, Toronto's newest bench boss saw a great regular season grind to a halt before the playoff tournament was half complete. They were hammered by the Florida Panthers in Game 5 and 7, at Scotiabank Arena by 6-1 scores that will be seared into the team's collective memory all summer. Article content 'To me, that's the most disappointing part of the series,' Berube said Sunday night. 'I can't explain it, nor do I want to. We did a great job fighting for home ice all year, had a great record. Article content '(The Panthers) were the more desperate team, the more aggressive tonight. You win a Game 6, that's great, come home and you have to have a little desperation, determination. And we didn't have it. Article content 'There are obviously things we have to look at and talk about as an organization.' Article content Berube and general manager Brad Treliving will digest that in coming days. Article content After Florida made it 3-0 in Sunday's second period, Berube lost his patience and berated the team at the bench. Mitch Marner, in possibly his last Leaf game, was shouting at teammates to wake up. Auston Matthews partially blamed the loss on 'too many passengers,' an opinion shared by Marner, yet it is getting to be a tired refrain. Those two, William Nylander and John Tavares have all been mostly silent in the six Game 7s of the Core Four Era. Article content Article content 'You can't have anybody not at their best,' Berube added of the Game 7 stage. Article content 'I don't think the moment is too big for them. We went into Game 6 in Ottawa and won that series, won a Game 6 (in Florida) to make it a Game 7. To me, it's all between the ears, it's a mindset. Article content 'These guys are capable of doing it, but you have to execute it. That's the bottom line, but I don't know why.' Article content
New York Times
11-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Clock ticking on Joseph Woll to rediscover top form for Maple Leafs in NHL playoffs
SUNRISE, Fla. — Two years, nearly to the day, before Game 3 against the Florida Panthers, Sheldon Keefe turned to a young goalie to keep the Toronto Maple Leafs' season alive. The then-Leafs coach tapped Joseph Woll instead of the veteran Matt Murray, even after Woll had missed training camp with injury and only played seven regular-season games. Advertisement Keefe believed in Woll's abilities in a desperate time. '(Woll) is well above what we had anticipated in terms of the timeline,' Keefe said on May 10, 2023. Woll had just stopped 24 of 25 shots in a Game 4 win against the Panthers. 'For him to play the way that he has and the way that he did in the last regular-season game against Tampa, and to play the way that he has when he has come through the net here in the playoffs, is why we had no question that he would be able to go today. He did a tremendous job.' Now, two years later, still in South Florida, the Leafs are waiting for that version of Woll to emerge in the playoffs. The five goals on 36 shots he allowed in the Leafs' 5-4 Game 3 loss to the Panthers weren't all on Woll alone. They remain up 2-1 in the series against the defending Stanley Cup champions, but the Leafs will still be in a difficult spot to close out the series unless Woll rediscovers his postseason form. After coming in relief for Anthony Stolarz in Game 1, Woll has allowed 11 goals on 84 shots. That's good for an .869 save percentage — 18th out of 20 goalies who have made a start through this postseason. The Joseph Woll the Leafs are getting right now feels far away from the Woll who kept the Leafs' 2022-23 season alive and the Woll who stopped 49 of 51 shots in Game 5 and Game 6 last year with the Leafs on life support. The Leafs need that Woll: Clinical. Dynamic in the net. And, maybe, even more desperate? Because after the worst playoff performance of his career, small sample acknowledged, Woll and Berube were surprisingly upbeat about what transpired in goal. 'I thought he was really good,' Berube said of Woll. 'I don't love the fourth goal, but other than that, I thought he was solid.' Seeing the glass as half full won't lose the Leafs this series, but what they like about Stolarz is how blunt and aggressive he can be. It has driven the Leafs at times this season, on and off the ice. Advertisement Now wouldn't be the worst time for Woll to adopt a little more of that aggression and desperation from his goalie partner. When Woll entered over the last two playoffs, the stake had already been driven close to the Leafs' heart. The outcome of the series wasn't dependent on him alone. Now? This is different. He plays a starring role. There's pressure that comes with that, the likes of which Woll has never faced before. How Woll responds to that pressure, with the likelihood of Stolarz returning seemingly low, could partly dictate the Leafs' fortunes in this series. There is a race now between Woll and Sergei Bobrovsky to find their old playoff forms and steal a game in the series. In a back-and-forth matchup that is this high scoring (who had 25 goals over three games on their bingo card?), one outlandishly good goaltending performance could swing the momentum in one team's favour for good. Woll needs to step into the spotlight. 'I did the same things I always do. We just came out on the wrong side,' Woll said of his Game 3 performance. Behind the scenes, Woll prepares relentlessly. He was one of the last Leafs to leave the Panthers' practice facility after Friday's morning skate, getting his body in a good place while most of his teammates boarded buses back to the team hotel. He can't be faulted for not being ready. Small dips in his game can be corrected. His puck play has looked, at best, indecisive. Poor puck play allows the Panthers more time to get into better positions in the offensive zone. 'It's difficult,' Berube said. 'A lot of those rims, they're up, eh? They're not on the ice. And that's designed. If (the Panthers) can get a good lick on it, they're going to put it on a glass. It's pretty tough for him to come out and play those. So, he did get to a lot of them. They're coming hard, we know that. He's going to have to move it quick, make a decision quick, and move it. That's the bottom line.' Advertisement It's a matter of split seconds, but his timing hasn't been as strong as it was during the regular season. At his best, Woll's athleticism allows him to make quick saves. But Jonah Gadjovich's second-period goal — the 'fourth goal' Berube mentioned — seemed to move in slow motion, from beyond the faceoff dot and past Woll. EVERYBODY SAY THANK YOU TO TOMAS! — x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 10, 2025 Woll has been put in a tough spot. He might have entered this series thinking he would not play. He's had to flip the switch quickly. 'It's very, very tough,' Max Pacioretty said of Woll being thrust into the series with little notice. 'He's done a really good job of handling it. He's made a lot of really key saves for us. So, he's handled it extremely well, and I've made a point of talking about how hard he works, and I think that's a big reason why he's having success.' Yet he's also been in this situation before. That's what makes his play in Game 3 so confounding. The Leafs will continue to roll with Woll, even if he stumbles again in Game 4. Murray has played two NHL games this season, both before 2025, and Dennis Hildeby would like to forget four of his six NHL starts this season. If the Leafs turned to either of them, calling it a 'Hail Mary' might be underselling it. The likelihood of Stolarz returning in this series also remains low. And so it's on Woll, armed with a recently signed three-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid Leafs goalie next season, to push momentum back into the Leafs' favour. He's done it before, including through the regular season. Woll believes he can do it again. For the Leafs to win this series, he might have to. 'Some of the games (this season) haven't exactly been the best outcomes and haven't gone the way I wanted,' Woll said in April. 'I think I've learned some very good lessons in those as well, again, I needed to learn and ingrain.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Devils Announce Big Changes Following Early Playoff Exit
The New Jersey Devils reached the postseason this year, but they fell short of advancing past the first round. New Jersey lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes, ending any hope the franchise had for this season. Following the early playoff exit, the Devils' front office has determined that some changes need to be made. The team announced some coaching staff changes following the disappointing ending to the season. Advertisement "The New Jersey Devils today announced that the team will not renew the contracts of Assistant Coaches Ryan McGill and Chris Taylor. Additionally, the contracts of Head Video Coach Jerry Dineen and Utica Comets Assistant Coach David Cunniff also will not be renewed." New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Prudential Mulholland-Imagn Images While the Devils did reach the postseason, the team had much higher goals than just a first-round appearance. Injuries did play a role in the early playoff loss, but the team now has some soul-searching to do this offseason. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald discussed this fact during his end-of-the-year press conference. "We've got a lot of decisions to make on certain players whether we bring guys back, trade players (but) we won't be coming back with the same group (in 2025-26)," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said during his end-of-season press conference on Thursday. "I can tell you that because it wasn't good enough." Advertisement New Jersey will go forward seeking an update in different areas, as they try to build a team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. This will be a crucial summer for the team, and one that could alter the trajectory of the franchise for years. Related: Ducks Owner Breaks Silence on Joel Quenneville Hire
