“It Didn’t Work”: Auston Matthews Breaks Silence on Sheldon Keefe’s Sacking 3 player…
Auston Matthews, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ star player, has finally broken his silence on the firing of head coach Sheldon Keefe, offering a rare and candid reflection on the team’s struggles and the need for change.
Matthews, who is often seen as the face of the franchise, acknowledged that while Keefe had his strengths, ultimately, the decision to part ways with the coach was necessary after a series of disappointing seasons, particularly in the playoffs.
“It didn’t work,” Matthews said plainly in his first public comments following Keefe’s dismissal. “It’s tough, you know? It’s never easy to see a coach go.
But when you look at the bigger picture, the results weren’t there, and we all have to take responsibility for that.”
Matthews’ words offered insight into the difficult dynamics that led to Keefe’s firing, signaling a moment of self-reflection not just from the coach, but from the players as well.
Keefe’s departure marked the end of a nearly five-year tenure with the Leafs, a time during which the team consistently performed well in the regular season but faltered in the postseason.
Despite having a roster filled with some of the NHL’s best players — including Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander — the Leafs struggled to advance past the first round of the playoffs.
For a franchise that had not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, these repeated failures created a sense of urgency. Matthews, who had evolved into one of the league’s top goal scorers under Keefe’s leadership, has always been at the center of those conversations about whether the coach was the right fit for the team’s long-term aspirations.
While Matthews was hesitant to directly criticize Keefe, he was clear in his assessment that the team needed a new direction.
“The coach-player relationship is always complicated,” Matthews explained. “You work together, you push each other, and sometimes it clicks, and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it just didn’t work. And when that happens, changes are inevitable.”
Keefe, who took over the Leafs’ coaching job in November 2019 after the firing of Mike Babcock, initially provided a spark. Under his guidance, the team became one of the most high-powered offenses in the NHL. However, Keefe’s inability to steer the Leafs past the first round of the playoffs, particularly with a squad as talented as Toronto’s, became a point of frustration for fans and management alike. Despite regular-season success, the lack of postseason success — culminating in another first-round exit in 2024 — prompted the team’s front office to make the difficult decision to let Keefe go.
For Matthews, the decision was a sobering one. He made it clear that while coaches are responsible for crafting strategies and getting the best out of their players, ultimately it’s up to the players to execute.
“Sheldon was a good coach, and he worked hard for us,” Matthews said. “But at the end of the day, we didn’t perform when it mattered most. We need to take ownership of that as players.”
This acknowledgment of responsibility marks a shift in the narrative around the Leafs’ struggles. Matthews, who has been the team’s undisputed leader for several years, is well aware that the Leafs’ window of opportunity is narrowing. With a core group of players that includes himself, Marner, Nylander, and captain John Tavares, Matthews knows that the team’s time to win is now.
Looking ahead, Matthews emphasized the importance of taking a collective approach to improvement. “Change was needed, but it’s not just about the coach. It’s about us as a group,” he said. “We have the talent, but we need to do more. We have to be better in all areas of the game — it’s on us to step up and deliver when it matters.”
As the Leafs search for their next head coach, Matthews’ message is clear: the team is at a crossroads. The players are the ones who need to rise to the occasion, and while the coaching staff will change, the responsibility for success lies squarely on the shoulders of the stars who have been underperforming in high-stakes moments.
As Matthews prepares for the next chapter, his leadership will be pivotal in guiding the Leafs toward a deeper postseason run and, ultimately, an elusive Stanley Cup.
