Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe has signed a three-year deal with the club, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Keefe had the opportunity to run his first practice with his new club Thursday morning and is looking to breathe some new life into the team.

"The first thing is trying to educate myself on exactly what's been happening ... Really getting to know the players and getting their thoughts and working with the coaching staff in terms of what have they identified as the issues," Keefe said to the assembled media, per TSN.

"We have a lot of work to do, a lot of things to really just renew the spirit of the team, that's really the main focus," Keefe added. "If we can tweak a couple of things that can inspire some confidence then we can hopefully build on that."

Keefe is in familiar territory with the Leafs, having coached 11 players on their NHL roster during his five-year stint with the Toronto Marlies.

"A big help for me, in particular, in these circumstances, coming in midstream ... is knowing the faces," Keefe added, per Sportsnet. "Just some familiarity. It's a lot easier for me coming into the room today and being around the guys and talking with them."

Keefe is set to make his debut behind the bench Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes.

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