TORONTO -- Sheldon Keefe coached 172 regular-season games at Scotiabank Arena when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019-24. So to say his trip to the arena on Thursday was familiar, right down to the traffic, is fair.

Like the rest of us, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe is actively trying to achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition to the title of head coach of an NHL team, he is a husband to his wife, Jackie, and father to two sons, Wyatt and Landon.

Editor’s note: This interview was originally published on Dec. 10. On Thursday, Sheldon Keefe will coach in Toronto for the first time since joining the New Jersey Devils. NEWARK, N.J. — The slogan that lines the dressing room wall of Sheldon Keefe’s New Jersey Devils team reads: Compete. Commit. Connect.