Leafs coach Keefe refusing to comment on what got him ejected from game
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ seven-game win streak ended on Tuesday with a blowout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights at home.
And while the game featured eight goals, it was a late-game penalty with Leafs fans talking past the final buzzer. After exchanging words with officials, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe was ejected with a game misconduct penalty.
Equally surprised and furious with the call, the 43-year-old stormed off to the locker room with more than two minutes on the clock.
KEEFE EJECTED vs Vegas Golden Knights courtesy of Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. #LeafsForever @Bonsie1951 @Jim_Ralph @LeafsJelly
2/27/2024 pic.twitter.com/yc6DUesjer
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) February 28, 2024
When asked by reporters if he could explain what led to his ejection after the game, Keefe said “no.”
As for whether his comments towards the officials were any ruder than things the bench boss had said in the past, Keefe, once again, was curt in his response.
“Not going there,” he reiterated.
While what was said exactly remains uncertain, it’s clear that Keefe was upset about Mitch Marner being assessed a questionable tripping call in the offensive zone with 4:53 remaining in the period.
The Leafs managed to kill the penalty off, but just about everyone on the bench (and behind it) expressed their distaste for the call.
“I think the whole arena saw it on the jumbotron. He didn’t touch him; he just toe-picked on his own,” Toronto forward Tyler Bertuzzi said after the game. “It’s hard, I guess, to make that call. It’s a fast game, but it was a tough call.”
According to the NHL’s rulebook, a game misconduct penalty can technically extend into the next game on the schedule. And since Keefe was issued one so late into Tuesday’s matchup, his presence behind the bench for the Leafs’ next bout remains a question.
The coach has never been ejected from an NHL game before but has been penalized for comments regarding officials in the past. Keefe was fined $25,000 for “demeaning conduct directed at the officials” in December 2022.