There was a moment when Brad Treliving was hired this past offseason that questions swirled around the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench boss, Sheldon Keefe. That was quickly put to rest when Treliving noted that he would be keeping Keefe on and — while the Maple Leafs have played inconsistent hockey this season — it hasn’t been the worst idea.
The Maple Leafs are 34-17-8 so far this season in 59 games with 76 points and sit third in the Atlantic Division. Their latest contest, on February 29, was a win at home against the Arizona Coyotes — a feat the Maple Leafs haven’t achieved since 2002.
It was also the 200th win of Keefe’s coaching career — all of which have come with the Maple Leafs over his five seasons with the team.
Keefe’s 200th Win Comes in Record Fashion
It took the Maple Leafs just 326 games to help Keefe achieve the feat of 200 wins as an NHL head coach. While the team is on pace to put up the second-worst point percentage under his tenure, the milestone landed Keefe in the franchise record books as the fastest coach in franchise history to 200 wins.
The previous record was set by the late Pat Quinn who earned his 200th win in 383 games. But that’s not all. Keefe’s pace also put him amongst the NHL’s all-time best.
In fact, he required the second-fewest games to reach 200 wins in the NHL — alongside Bruce Boudreau — behind only Dan Bylsma who did it in just 316 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Keefe’s Future Depends on Playoff Run
For now, Keefe and the Maple Leafs will surely celebrate the milestone win and the fact that their coach is enshrined in the NHL’s record book. But his future with the team could still come with a question mark based on their postseason success.
Just once has the team made it out of the first round under Keefe — that coming 2022-23. That, however, came to a quick end with a tumultuous effort in the second round against the Florida Panthers.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Prospect Easton Cowan Extends Record Point Streak
That said, Keefe’s future with the club could depend on how the team does this time around. On paper, they should be able to get out of the first round again. But Treliving will surely want to see some progress.
Another first-round exit could spell the end of the road for Keefe with the Maple Leafs, however, his successes have been well documented in the regular season. Regardless of what the outcome is, for now, Keefe can be considered as one of the most successful regular season head coaches in franchise history.
