Toronto Marlies Name New Head Coach

The Toronto Maple Leafs have their man behind the bench with Mike Babcock. Now, the Toronto Marlies have named a coach for the 2015-2016 American Hockey League season.

Sheldon Keefe, who has been coaching in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds, will man the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate’s bench. Keefe has long been rumored to be soon-to-be-hired and join the organization in some capacity.

Keefe did a terrific job at the junior level, leading the Greyhounds to the top record in the OHL this past season. He was hired by the Greyhounds by Kyle Dubas, who also hired him with the Greyhounds years ago.

His first coaching gig was in 2005 when he was an assistant coach in the CCHL for one season before taking over as the head coach and general manager of the same time, the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

Keefe was hired by the Greyhounds in 2012, and he has been the coach there ever since. Sault Ste Marie lost in the playoffs to the Erie Otters despite being the top team in the OHL during the regular season.

The Marlies fired their head coach Gord Dineen in May. Toronto did make the AHL playoffs, but the organization with the Maple Leafs themselves was undergoing a shakeup, and that meant at the AHL as well. As a rebuild goes, the Maple Leafs will need a strong one if they plan to contend any time soon.

Since the Leafs are rebuilding, their AHL affiliate is important and several players could be up and down between the two teams all season. It was important to add a coach they believe in to keep the stability, and Keefe was their man.