Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
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After practice on Wednesday, head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed Morgan Rielly’s imminent return to the lineup, Dryden Hunt entering the lineup for his first game as a Leaf, and the fine he was issued for his criticism of the officials during Tuesday’s win over St. Louis.

Practice Lines – December 28

What kind of boost does it give to the group to have Morgan Rielly on the ice and nearing a return?

Keefe: It is great to have him. Even yesterday, it was nice to have him. He brings a lot to the room. He has been around the group a lot, but it is different when you are out there on the ice, in the mix, and close to playing.

It is a combination of things — some time away from the rink, Morgan is coming back, and all of that. The last two days have been really exciting. The spirit of the team has been outstanding coming out of the break. It is a very good and healthy sign. The guys are chomping at the bit to get back at it.

Is Rielly trending toward a return on Thursday night?

Keefe: Yeah, it seems like it is all thumbs up here at this point. As always we will see how he responds in the morning after his first real hard practice today, but he is looking good.

Are you going to look to manage his minutes in his first game back?

Keefe: That is naturally what you would tend to do — try to ease guys in. It is hard to do when you get these players who are used to playing so much. You can count on them so much. It is hard to reduce them when they are there and available to you.

All of that said, when playing without the guys that we have played without for the last while with the injuries, other guys have stepped up. With that in and of itself, the trust has grown with the players.

As a result, I think everybody’s minutes will drop over the course of time. Sometimes, they will really rise and peak. Overall, whether it is on defense or forward, when the team is thriving and everyone is feeling good, everyone’s minutes should come down just a little bit. You are trusting your team.

Was it important to get Dryden Hunt two full practices before he jumped back in?

Keefe: Yeah. With the timing of the break and the fact that we were going pretty well as a team, it has kind of held that up. We want to get him involved. The timing is right for that. He will go in tomorrow.

Was there frustration from you with the fine from the league given the missed calls seemed obvious to anyone watching?

Keefe: Listen, you get emotional in the game. Coaches are competing just like anyone else is. When the game is over, especially when you get the two points, I don’t put too much thought or concern into any of that.

Is there intrigue and excitement to see what it is like to play an NHL game in the Mullett Arena?

Keefe: Yeah, unique for sure. I am happy we were able to get a practice on that ice. It is a tremendous facility. I was talking with a lot of the folks with ASU today. They are thrilled. It gives them great resources. It is outstanding for them.

It is different for us, and there are still some bugs to be worked out here. It is the first time in the NHL that you have to walk outside a little bit for a couple of steps to get to the ice. That is unique and different. The size of the rink and some of the things like that… even some of the sounds and acoustics are different in the building than what you are accustomed to.

We will have to adjust to that, but certainly, today’s skate was helpful in that regard.

Sam Gagner is about to play his 1,000th game in Winnipeg. You coached him with the Marlies. What allowed him to get his game back?

Keefe: Love of the game. Despite coming down to play in the AHL, you never saw a dip in his mood or energy level coming to the rink, or in his routines and work that he put in with his game. I was thrilled for him to get back to the NHL that season. He hasn’t looked back since.

We had Jason Spezza here as someone who has that passion for the game. We saw that from Sam Gagner at the AHL level. No surprise that he was able to find his way back.

Is Matt Murray starting on Thursday night?

Keefe: Yeah, Murray is in.

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