Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe appeared inseparable for years. Their relationship began when they worked together with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Dubas was the GM of the Greyhounds, and Keefe served as the head coach.

That collaboration was a significant part of their early professional careers and laid the foundation for their subsequent partnership with the Maple Leafs organization. Together, they succeeded in developing players and implementing their hockey philosophies, which carried over into their roles with the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies and, eventually, the Maple Leafs. Their shared experiences in Sault Ste. Marie helped forge a strong bond and mutual understanding that continued to shape their approach to hockey management and coaching at the NHL level.

Dubas & Keefe Tried to Build a Team That Was Based Upon Speed and Puck-Possession Hockey.

Eventually, when Dubas fired Mike Babcock and made Keefe the team’s head coach, they were able to fuse their philosophies in leadership roles with the Maple Leafs. An analytics guy, Dubas favoured a puck-moving, puck-possession style offensively and defensively, often prioritizing smaller, more agile defencemen who could disrupt passing lanes. Four attributes of the style of hockey he believed in were (1) puck control, (2) finding skaters who possessed speed and agility, (3) passing and playmaking, and (4) offensive zone domination.