With Toronto Maple Leaf’s Head Coach Mike Babcock out of the picture, a former Pembroke Lumber King Coach has stepped in to coach the team.
Sheldon Keefe coached the Pembroke Lumber Kings between 2006 and 2012. In the 2006-7 season he lead the Kings to their first championship win in 18 seasons. Keefe then lead the team to successive championships, which lead to them winning the RBC Cup in 2011. Keefe took a position with the AHL Toronto Marlies in 2015, which is the farm team for the Leafs.
Keefe goes into a team that is 3-5-2 in their last ten, and are coming off of a 6 game losing streak. Under Keefe the Leafs recently beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. Babcock was has been with the leafs for five seasons and was let go on Wednesday. The coach had a record of 173 wins, 133 losses and 45 overtime losses during his tenure with the leafs.
Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski congratulate Keefe on Twitter, saying that he was a tremendous leader and motivator, and wished him and his family a Stanley Cup Parade.