There are few guarantees in professional sports and though Sheldon Keefe rebounded quickly after being dismissed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it took a while for him to find his footing with the New Jersey Devils.

Keefe was fired by the Maple Leafs on May 9, 2024, following the team’s first-round exit against the Boston Bruins. He was gracious about the decision, and found a new job immediately, becoming the Devils’ head coach on May 23. Two weeks isn’t an eternity in the unemployment line, but Keefe had to adjust to a new city, a new country and a different set of circumstances, with a younger core to manage.

New Jersey is off to an excellent 4-1-0 start and Keefe seems to be operating in his comfort zone during his second year with the club.

“Up until about 45 seconds ago when I stood right here, it felt like a road game, you know, like any other road game,” Keefe said Tuesday afternoon in a crowded scrum at Scotiabank Arena. “For the most part, yeah, it’s certainly different this time around. The whole experience of just being in New Jersey now the second time around, having so many established relationships that were so fresh and new and all of that with players and staff last year, it’s feeling a lot more comfortable, I would say, for me and our team.”

New Jersey posted a 42-33-7 record during the regular season, constituting a 10-point improvement under Keefe’s watch, but it was swiftly defeated in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round last year. Devils superstar Jack Hughes underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in April and the team never recovered.

With another year building continuity with the Devils, Keefe is working at full strength this year, while trying to a lead a talented core led by Hughes and captain Nico Hischier into a deep playoff run.

“You’re always kind of starting over in training camp, but you can get to things a lot quicker,” Keefe said. “Practices have been a lot smoother. Also, the expectations, the standards that you want to have in practice and leadership group has been in sync. Coaching staff, and that’s really helpful.”

Keefe is still very familiar with the current Maple Leafs’ roster and spoke effusively about Max Domi joining the team’s top line alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews for Tuesday’s game.

“I know Max will be excited. Auston really enjoyed that connection when those guys were matched together. And I like the line, I like the look of it, we didn’t get to until later in the season, if I recall. Knies, the steps he has taken, I think just changes the dynamic with this team a lot with the skill set and size that he has.”