It has been 39 years since the New Jersey Devils have existed in the National Hockey League. In that time, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Devils met in the postseason twice, in 2000 and 2001. In both cases, it was in the second round of the playoffs. The Devils won both series. In 2000, New Jersey, backed by the stellar goaltending of Martin Brodeur, went on to win the Stanley Cup. In 2001, the Devils made it to the finals but lost to the Colorado Avalanche.
[As an aside, an interesting connection between the Devils and the Maple Leafs’ new coach, Craig Berube, lies in a shared hockey history. Larry Robinson, named interim head coach of the Devils on March 23, 2000, led his team to the Stanley Cup. In doing so, he became the first interim head coach in NHL history to achieve this feat. Nearly two decades later, Berube repeated this achievement by leading the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup win in 2019. This shared milestone highlights the small world of hockey, where coaching success stories intertwine across teams and generations.]
In the regular season, the two teams met 154 times, an average of four times per season. The Maple Leafs have a record of 81-43-30 against the Devils.
Maple Leafs Fans Usually Think of Other Teams as Rivals
When we think about the Maple Leafs’ rivalries, we think of one of the oldest rivalries in professional sports history: the Maple Leafs vs. the Montreal Canadiens. We also think of the Battle of Ontario between the Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. More recently, we think of the Boston Bruins’ rivalry and dominance over the Maple Leafs.
But the Maple Leafs and the Devils? We don’t think Maple Leafs fans give it much thought at all. That could all change now that the Devils have hired former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe as their bench boss.
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Whenever a former player comes back to face the Maple Leafs in Toronto, they are always inspired to play well and prove to their former team and fans that they made a mistake in letting them go.
This past season, there was some buzz when the Maple Leafs played the Pittsburgh Penguins after Pittsburgh signed Kyle Dubas as their General Manager (GM) following the Maple Leafs’ firing. However, a GM is not really in the game. He does not control anything that happens on the ice as a player or a coach does. He sits up in his booth high above ice level.
Keefe Might Feel He Has Something to Prove Against the Maple Leafs
With the history Keefe has with the Maple Leafs and how much he was denigrated and defamed by fans and the media in Toronto at the end, when the Devils play the Maple Leafs, and especially when they play in Toronto, Keefe is going to be highly motivated to prove it was not his fault for what ailed the Maple Leafs.
Related: Sheldon Keefe Saw His Termination by the Maple Leafs Coming
Keefe has to feel he knows this team inside out, its weaknesses, and how best to exploit them. He will use that knowledge to shut down the Maple Leafs’ high-powered offense. He will undoubtedly inspire the Devils’ players to be at their best.
Conversely, the Maple Leafs players will be determined not to allow Keefe to get the best of them. While they will have no personal animosity toward Keefe, they will not feel great losing to him. They will be fully aware of Keefe’s knowledge of his former team and want to play through whatever Keefe throws at them, more out of personal pride than anything else.
The NHL’s 2024-25 Regular Season Schedule Will Be Coming Soon
While the 2024-25 NHL schedule has yet to be released, we are sure Keefe will circle his first game against the Maple Leafs and the Devils’ first visit to the Scotiabank Arena on his calendar.
Related: Tim Horton: A Legacy of Hockey, Donuts, & Coffee
It could be the start of an all-new NHL rivalry. It’s shaping up to be a fun season for Maple Leafs fans.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
