Head coach Sheldon Keefe embraces Stanley Cup expectations with Devils

Driving past the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., for a news conference at which he would be introduced as Devils head coach, Sheldon Keefe noticed a statue of Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur in front of the building.

It was an instant reminder that the expectations of coaching the Devils in the New York City metropolitan area are no different than what was expected in Toronto for the Maple Leafs.

Winning a Stanley Cup is all that matters, and that's the goal Keefe will bring next season when he takes over another young and talented team that fell short of expectations this past season.

The Devils have won the Cup three times in 1995, 2000 and 2003, with Brodeur in goal all three times. They have only gotten back to the Cup final once (2012) and since then have made the playoffs twice in 2018 and 2023.

"I know what the expectations are here and what the potential is," said Keefe, who noted several times he viewed this job as a fresh start. "To challenge for playoff position in the playoffs and also win the Stanley Cup. Those are the expectations. That's why I've come."

Keefe led the Auston Matthews-led Maple Leafs to the playoffs in all five of his seasons but only got past the first round once. This past season ended with a first-round loss to Boston in overtime of Game 7.

Keefe was fired less than a week later. After that announcement, Keefe filmed a video for the fans, giving closure for his time in Toronto.

Job too good to pass over

When Keefe first spoke to Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, the latter was convinced he had a coach who would hold his players accountable, be a good communicator and a teacher.

Keefe, who said this job was too good to pass over, will take over from interim coach Travis Green, who replaced the fired Lindy Ruff in March. The Brampton, Ont., native was 212-97-40 with Toronto, winning a playoff series in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fitzgerald said he interviewed 10 people for the job, although Green was not an option after taking the coaching job with the Ottawa Senators.

"I don't sit here and say I have all the answers and I have all the information, frankly," Keefe said at a 45-minute news conference. "But I am very excited to get to work. What I do know is the talent is there. The hunger is there, and the commitment is there."

Keefe said he has spoken with returning players from last season and the common themes were they were all disappointed in missing the playoffs and they are ready to get back to work.

The Devils are loaded with fast, talented players led by Jack and Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier. The defence struggled after losing Dougie Hamilton to a pectoral injury early in the season and the goaltending has been an issue for a while.

Keefe said he hopes the Devils revert to their form from the 2022-23 season when they had a franchise-record 112 points. They skated fast, put pressure on the puck at both ends of the ice and showed off their skills.

Bylsma promoted from AHL club

The Seattle Kraken named Dan Bylsma their coach Tuesday, putting the 2009 Stanley Cup winner with Pittsburgh back in charge of an NHL team for the first time since 2017.

Bylsma has spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the American Hockey League, the top affiliate of the Kraken and has them back in the Calder Cup semifinals. He has worked extensively with several top prospects who the franchise hopes will be making their way to Seattle in the coming seasons.

"Dan is a winner with a proven track record of developing both young and veteran talent, and his leadership will help our team as we move forward," Seattle general manager Ron Francis said.

Bylsma replaces Dave Hakstol, who was fired following his third season in charge after the Kraken took a significant step backward and struggled badly at the offensive end of the ice. Seattle made the playoffs in its second year and earned Hakstol a two-year contract extension, but he was let go before that extension ever kicked in.

Before his stint with Coachella Valley, Bylsma spent parts of eight seasons as a head coach at the NHL level with Pittsburgh and Buffalo. He took over in Pittsburgh midway through the 2008-09 season and helped guide the Penguins to the Stanley Cup. Pittsburgh made the playoffs in the five seasons under Bylsma after winning the title but advanced to the conference final only once in those five trips.

Seattle finished last season 34-35-13 and tied for fifth place in the Pacific Division with 81 points. While they were solid defensively and received strong goaltending for most of the season with the combo of Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer, the Kraken struggled badly at the offensive end. Seattle was 29th in the league in goals scored, 29th in shooting percentage and 18th on the power play.

This season, Coachella Valley won the Pacific Division of the AHL and was one of two teams in the league to top 100 points. The Firebirds have advanced to the Western Conference finals, which are scheduled to begin Wednesday.

In both seasons, the Firebirds finished in the top three in the AHL in goals scored during the regular season. Bylsma also worked with the likes of Daccord, Shane Wright, Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye, all of whom seem likely to be key parts of the future for the Kraken.

Female coach in running for assistant role?

Bylsma said current Coachella Valley assistant coach Jessica Campbell could be a candidate for a similar position with the Kraken.

Bylsma said Campbell, his assistant for two seasons, and fellow Coachella Valley assistant Stu Bickell will be among a group in consideration for a role with the Kraken.

He intends to speak with current Seattle assistants Jay Leach and Dave Lowery about their possible futures with the team, but there are also talks about coaches that could be brought in from the outside.

Campbell, from Rocanville, Sask., became the first female full-time assistant coach in the AHL when she was hired by Coachella before the start of its first season. There has not been a female full-time assistant on the bench at the NHL level.

Emily Engel-Natzke was hired by the Washington Capitals as the first woman in the role of video co-ordinator in June 2022.

Waddell brings experience to Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets have named Don Waddell as GM and president of hockey operations, bringing in an experienced NHL executive to try to help turn around the franchise.

Waddell joins the club days after stepping down as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes with his contract set to expire. His move to Columbus also coincides with John Davidson becoming an adviser after running the front office 10 of the past 12 years.

"Don Waddell is one of the most experienced and respected executives in our sport with over four decades of experience as a player, scout, head coach, general manager and team president," team president Mike Priest said. "Don has every attribute we were looking for when this process began, and we are thrilled to have him lead our hockey operations efforts."

The Hurricanes reached the playoffs and won at least one series in each of Waddell's six seasons in charge. The Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and have made three different coaching hires during that time.

Waddell, 65, has a Stanley Cup ring from 1998 when he was assistant GM of the Detroit Red Wings. He became the first GM of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers and spent more than a decade in that job before scouting for the Pittsburgh Penguins, then going to Carolina as president.

"I've known Don for many years, and he is one of the great gentlemen in our business," Davidson said. "He is a very smart, dedicated professional who has shown a great ability to bring people together to work toward a common goal and achieve success."

Waddell succeeds Jarmo Kekalainen in the full-time role after Davidson made a midseason change and took over GM duties on an interim basis. Waddell said the organization "has everything you need to have success at the highest level."

The Blue Jackets in 23 seasons of existence have made the playoffs just six times and never gotten past the second round. Within the past year, Brad Larsen was fired as coach after two seasons, Mike Babcock was hired and then forced to resign on the eve of training camp after players voiced privacy concerns about his methods and then replaced by Pascal Vincent, who oversaw a team that lost 55 of its 82 games.