Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe will try to use Super Bowl champ Pete Carroll's philosophy this season

To say that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that lacks consistency is an understatement. It's that portion of their game that has caused both management and the fan base much heartache over the last handful of seasons.

Nobody is denying the abundance of talent on the roster, but the message that GM Kyle Dubas was very clear on this off-season is that the effort needs to be better on a nightly basis. He doubled down on that message by going out and acquiring several players who bring competitiveness and energy to the lineup, but even more importantly than that, he brought in players who do things the right way.

So what then of the coaching staff? What message do they intend to send to players this coming season? Well, head coach Sheldon Keefe plans to drive home one idea to his players. This one idea can be summed up into two simple words. "Always compete".

The message is a simple one on the surface, but contains many layers underneath. It's a lesson Keefe took to heart when he shadowed NFL head coach Pete Carroll during Seattle Seahawks training camp in August of 2019. You have to compete to win. Every second of every minute of every period of every game, full stop.

During a Leafs' virtual open house on Sunday, Keefe touched on his experience in getting to absorb some of that "winning aura" from the Super Bowl champion during his unique experience.

“The simplicity is beautiful, but there's a lot inside of that. The way Pete Carroll defines it, always competing is essentially not about competing against other people, but really competing with yourself and really challenging and pushing yourself to always be learning, always be evolving, always be seeking to improve and get better.”

As Keefe prepares for his first season as an NHL head coach, and not a mid-season replacement, he hopes to be able to convey this message in a way that will really sink in for his players. With a re-vamped bottom six, a few key changes on the blue line and a fresh face in expected third-string goalie Aaron Dell between the pipes, Keefe hopes to squeeze every ounce of potential out of his lineup in his pursuit of hockey's Holy Grail.

“For myself personally, it's a fresh start with a fresh training camp. Fresh team, if you will, because there are significant changes and a chance to really get to work with what I'd like our team to be about, to win,” Keefe said.

“The pressure is truly a privilege. When there's pressure, that means there's great opportunity — and you're a part of something that people care about.”

During the time the 40-year-old was fortunate enough to spend with Carroll and the Seahawks coaching staff, he was often in awe of the precision and the execution of the event. This experience culminated with two separate 45-minute meetings with Carroll, one-on-one, with Keefe hanging on Carroll's every word.

“I was very, very fortunate for that and learned a lot through it,” Keefe said. “I've always wanted to be able to spend time with an NFL team, in particular, just because I think the dynamics around an NFL team are so fascinating.”

As he looks to implement what he has learned from the veteran NFL bench boss behind an NHL bench, Keefe will have plenty of help from his new and improved coaching staff that will include the likes of Manny Malhotra, Paul MacLean and Sam Kim. He will, no doubt, have many lessons to share with them as well as returning assistant coach Dave Hakstol. Keefe and his coaching staff will take an approach centered more around inspiration than it is motivation.

“We try to really tap into what inspires the players. What's their inspiration? What is their passion? Why is it that they've committed their life, essentially, to be hockey players?” Keefe said.

“You know, there's a lot of really gifted people that are playing in the NHL, of course, but these guys have put in a great deal of work to be where they're at. In order to do that, you're not doing it on the back of motivation. You're truly inspired by something. It's important, as a coach, to learn what that is and tap into that.”

A big part of that is to have his club focused on the right thing. To keep their eyes on the prize. To keep pushing. To keep digging. To will themselves across that finish line. A guy like Joe Thornton will have a lot to say to these kids who believe there is plenty of time to win a cup. As one of the NHL's premier players for a long, long time, Thornton will be an invaluable asset to this coaching staff as he enters his 23rd career NHL season, still chasing that dream that some on this Leafs roster believe they have plenty of chances to reach.

At the end of the day, it's on the coaches to really drive home that message and to bring out the best in their players during training camp and throughout the season as they prepare for the postseason, where preparation and effort mean everything.

“A lot of our job as coaches and as facilitators of development is to keep that light on,” Keefe said. “Keep the fire burning.”

Hopefully Keefe and company can achieve just that.

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