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.

TORONTO (AP) — William Nylander scored his second goal of the game at 1:10 of overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe was back at Scotiabank Arena as a visitor for the first time since being fired by the Maple Leafs in the spring.

The Devils have only lost twice this season when leading after two periods (21-0-2). And both of those losses are to the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime, including a 4-3 setback at Scotiebank Arena Thursday night.

In the last meeting of the season between the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs, it was the first time head coach Sheldon Keefe would return to Toronto since last season.

Keefe was coaching an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena for the first time since being fired by the Maple Leafs on May 9. Having been hired by the Devils 14 days later, he’d faced his former team twice this season, both at Prudential Center.

On Thursday night, the New Jersey Devils lost their fourth overtime (OT) game of the season in five tries. Jack Hughes tried to cut through two defenders and lost the puck, leading to an odd-man rush and the eventual Sam Carrick winner.

The Toronto Maple Leafs honored former head coach Sheldon Keefe during their game against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.

New Jersey Devils forward Brian Halonen will make his season debut, and Stefan Noesen will return to the lineup.

Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils traveled to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs, in an attempt to get their first win of the season against them.

In New Jersey, Keefe has led the Devils to a record of 26-15-5 for 57 points. The club sits second in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the League. On Thursday, Keefe will reunite with his family as he returns to Toronto for the first time as a head coach since he was let go on May 9, 2024.

Slugging from behind the entire evening, and balanced on the usual mid-season fan revolt, the Toronto Maple Leafs won their first game in more than a week on Thursday. William Nylander scored the overtime goal that put away the New Jersey Devils, led by former Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe.