We can officially say “current New Jersey Devils head coach” Sheldon Keefe. Devils new GM Sunny Mehta is committing to Keefe as his head coach for the 2026-27 season, and hopefully beyond. After a few weeks of evaluation, Keefe is getting another chance to push this team to the next level.
Devils also confirm that Sheldon Keefe will be returning as HC. He has two years left on his contract. New GM Sunny Mehta had evaluated the HC position and has decided to bring Keefe back. https://t.co/W8aTCWYV5w
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 19, 2026
The evaluation period was warranted. The Devils were awful last season. Despite expectations, they missed the playoffs for the fifth time since drafting Jack Hughes in 2019. It’s not like the Devils were contenders in 2025. They lost in the first round in five games.
Since coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Keefe hasn’t been that impressive with the Devils. Prior to the Olympic break, the Devils were playing some of the worst hockey in the NHL. Jacob Markstrom was not playing well, and he kept trotting him out like he was Connor Hellebuyck.
Sheldon Keefe will be the New Jersey Devils head coach
There was a time where the Devils looked like they were skating in quicksand. There were serious issues with the motivation, it appears, and Keefe wasn’t able to get the team moving when down. After a great start, the Devils were mediocre for the rest of the season. A late-season surge wasn’t enough to even get close to the playoffs.
Still, there was a thought that the Devils front office was calling more shots on the bench than expected. The Keefe system seemed to make major changes from Toronto to New Jersey. It lost a ton of speed and transition. The Devils could not exit the zone. That didn’t seem like Keefe or assistant coach Brad Shaw’s defensive system.
While Keefe is returning, one coach got the axe. Goaltending coach Dave Rogalski was relieve of his duties. That’s a move many expected to come sooner than this with the issues Devils’ goaltenders have had.
Keefe will have a short leash in 2026-27. At the first sign of trouble, we’d expect a coaching change. For now, Keefe is safe.
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