Sheldon Keefe reveals his reasoning for hiring goaltending coach Curtis Sanford over multiple other candidates
The hiring of Curtis Sanford as the Leafs new goalie coach has been overshadowed by the excitement of the draft and the many other changes in the Leafs front office, however, it may be one of the most important things they've done so far this off season, aside from dumping Petr Mrazek's contract to the Blackhawks. At the draft, Sheldon Keefe was asked what made Sanford the best choice in his eyes. Keefe had this to say:
He knows the position extremely well. I really liked his ability to communicate what his expectations are and what he's trying to accomplish with the goaltenders in a very clear and concise way, simplify things and through that the ability to reinforce the fundamentals are required to play the position. Also the experience he's had in the Vancouver organization. He's coached Thatcher Demko on his path after the American Hockey League and went to the NHL. He did a tremendous job in Abbotsford, you saw the development of a goalie like Spencer Martin, Curtis was a contributor to his developments. Another thing that is unique to him is playing experience. He's played in Canada. He spent two years in Vancouver as a backup to the Hall-of-Famer - Roberto Luongo - all those things add up. Then there's the personality piece. He's just a good fit for the organization. - Sheldon Keefe
Sanford earned the job as one of 10 potential options that were interviewed. Two key points out of that Keefe quote were his focus on fundamentals and the fact that he knows what its like to play in a Canadian market. The goals that kill momentum and cost teams games are the squeakers that proper positioning and technique could have otherwise prevented. Paying close attention to fundamentals will help to stop those from happening. Canadian markets, Toronto especially, come with a lot of pressure. Having a goalie coach who can relate can be a huge help, especially if a goalie is struggling with their confidence like Jack Campbell did during parts of last season.
It's easy to call a move a success before the puck drops on a new season, but the way things went with Steve Briere over the past few years, a change was clearly needed. I'd be lying if I said that I had my eye on Curtis Sanford for the job. My pick was another guy named Curtis who played for the Leafs during his illustrious NHL career. Nevertheless, Sanford's success in Vancouver is what gives me confidence. He and the Canucks have managed to develop a true #1 goaltender in Thatcher Demko, something the Leafs haven't been able to do since Felix Potvin (sorry James Reimer fans). The Leafs have several promising prospects and any one of Joseph Woll, Erik Kallgren, Keith Petruzzelli or Dryden McKay still have a shot. Hopefully with Sanford's guidance, one of them actually emerges as a viable option.
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