Flames Name Mike Keenan Head Coach

[Thrillhouse]

Calgary, AB - Calgary Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter announced today Mike Keenan has been named head coach.

Additionally, Jim Playfair has been appointed associate coach.

Mike Keenan becomes the 13th head coach in Calgary Flames history. He joins the Flames with one of the most impressive coaching resumes in the history of the National Hockey League. He is 6th all time in NHL wins (584 wins) behind only Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, Dick Irvin, Pat Quinn, and Bryan Murray.

During his 18 years behind the bench in the NHL, Keenan has led his teams to the Finals on four occasions capturing the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. He was named winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year in 1985 after leading the Philadelphia Flyers to the Cup Final during his rookie season. He has a 160-91-69 (.569) record during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His 91 playoff victories position him 5th on the all-time list.

The native of Bowmanville, ON began his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 1980 and guided the Petes to the Memorial Cup Final.

The following year he moved to the professional ranks with the Rochester Americans, which he led to an American Hockey League Calder Cup Championship in 1983. For the 1983-84 season, he returned to his alma mater, the University of Toronto, and coached the Varsity Blues to the CIAU title. Following back-to-back championship campaigns, he was offered his first NHL coaching position with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Success followed Keenan with two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals during his four years in Philadelphia. Keenan signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1988 and within four seasons guided the Hawks to their first Finals appearance in 19 years. In 1993, he assumed the position as New York Rangers head coach, and led the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title since 1940. Keenan has also coached the St. Louis Blues (1994-96), Vancouver Canucks (1997-98), and Boston Bruins (2000-01). He was named head coach of the Florida Panthers on December 3, 2001 before becoming the Panthers General Manager on May 26, 2004.

His resume includes three President’s Trophies, six division titles, three All-Star Games, three 50 plus win seasons and five 100 plus point seasons. As Canada’s National Team Head Coach in 1987 and 1991, Keenan led Team Canada to two Canada Cup titles. His international coaching career also includes the 1980 World Junior Championships and the 1993 World Championships.

Mike and his wife, Nola, have three children: Gayla, Grant and Reed.

[canuckfan]

Hmmm. I didn't think Sutter would take this route, if it does happen - by all indications he was going to give Playfair another year to make a difference.

Still, Playfair, to me, did a terrible job with the Flames last year, as it was the home town crowd that coached the team, not Playfair and his staff - as was evident by the Flames absolutley brutal road record.

Keenan has been hit and miss in his career, and I think hes lost his touch as an NHL coach - when was the last time he had a winning record as a head coach anyways? Still, the Flames have about one more season with their current core group before the economics of the salary cap force Sutter to start making choices amongst his top players and break this group up (Iginla or Kiprusoff?). Playfair, imo, isn't the guy to do the job, so if you do have just one more year to win a Cup, you gotta go with a coach the players are going to listen and respond to - Keenan could be the answer, but I have supreme doubts that he's the right guy anymore, for any team.

If Keenan becomes coach, I predict a free-fall in the standings for the Calgary Flames.

[Snipes19]

Flames reportedly set to name Keenan new head coach

TORONTO -- The Calgary Flames have hired Mike Keenan as their new head coach, The Canadian Press reported Wednesday.

The Canadian Press, citing unidentified sources, reported an official announcement is expected Thursday or Friday.

Current Flames coach Jim Playfair will remain with the organization.

The Flames went 43-25-10, finishing eighth in the Western Conference last season under Playfair. They lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

Keenan has 569 victories in 1,014 games as an NHL head coach.

He won the Jack Adams Trophy awarded to the league's top coach in 1985 after leading the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals. He also took the Chicago Blackhawks to the Cup finals in 1988 and won the Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.

LINK

Wow.
Good luck to the Flames, because I think Keenan is a terrible coach. He will ruin that team.

Now, 29 teams in the NHL are happy, including 14 teams in the West.
I feel sorry for Calgary. This guy is an idiot.

[snowave]

Keenan's a mental case and a$$hole. Not to mention, when's the last time he's been involved in the NHL hasn't it been about 10 years? (I really don't know, so I'm asking)
Bad move.

[HordiBrusk29]

I've always liked Keenan so I won't complain that a guy like him is back in the league. That being said I wasn't too thrilled with some of the comments he made on TSN after the Fedoruk and Orr fight. That was very un-Keenan like.

[ChickenSwede]

Awful move by the Flames for so many reasons. The one that sticks out the most is how they just hung Huselius out to dry here. Out of Keenan's death grip for the first full season, Huselius finally realized his potential with 70-80 points this year (and I don't doubt for a second he would've done even better next year). But then this!? Butthole move by Sutter. Keenan hates Huselius and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. Flames just fücked a potential 40 goal scorer in el bung'o and basically told him to go pack his bags. Awful descision.

[DaveBrown69]

Thanks for the link. Not sure what I think. Sometimes I've liked Keenan's style and sometimes......................................... ....

[Isles4life]

Not a fan. Needed someone to take over from Playfair, I'm not sure he's the guy.

[Lead]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

I've always liked Keenan so I won't complain that a guy like him is back in the league. That being said I wasn't too thrilled with some of the comments he made on TSN after the Fedoruk and Orr fight. That was very un-Keenan like.

Exactly. I lost almost all repect for this guy after those comments he made after that fight. And they used to call him ''Iron Mike". Comon...

[ruffryder]

Originally Posted by Wes McSnipes

Flames reportedly set to name Keenan new head coach


LINK

Wow.
Good luck to the Flames, because I think Keenan is a terrible coach. He will ruin that team.

Now, 29 teams in the NHL are happy, including 14 teams in the West.
I feel sorry for Calgary. This guy is an idiot.

How is Keenan terrible? He's a good coach with as cup ring.

[jkidd]

Originally Posted by canuckfan

Still, Playfair, to me, did a terrible job with the Flames last year, as it was the home town crowd that coached the team, not Playfair and his staff - as was evident by the Flames absolutley brutal road record.

Couldnt agree more. He was absolutely useless as a coach for the Flames. He didnt motivate them, and it seemed like the players fed off of each other and learned more from one another - than they did him.

I'd be shocked to see him back for another go to be honest.

[peacemaker]

Keenan is far from terrible as a coach.
As a GM, you could definitely make a case for him being 'terrible'...

At any rate, this will make for a fantastic story all season long in Calgary- how him and Sutter do when things do not go well.

This may be the first time Keenan may have to answer to someone who is ready and willing to treat him like his bit3h, rather than the other way around.

I for one think Keenan is still a very good coach. If he just sticks to coaching, and has a GM on board with him in terms of the 'my way or the highway' approach to dealing with players. Sutter is that guy I believe. The players will not be able to play one against the other saying he's too demanding, mean etc...That is what Sutter wanted when he hired him...

All of this said, I predict Keenan is gone by years end.

[peacemaker]

Originally Posted by ChickenSwede

Awful move by the Flames for so many reasons. The one that sticks out the most is how they just hung Huselius out to dry here. Out of Keenan's death grip for the first full season, Huselius finally realized his potential with 70-80 points this year (and I don't doubt for a second he would've done even better next year). But then this!? Butthole move by Sutter. Keenan hates Huselius and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. Flames just fücked a potential 40 goal scorer in el bung'o and basically told him to go pack his bags. Awful descision.

Huselius had 77 points in the regular season.

He followed that up with 2 assists in 6 playoff games...

Could it be that Huselius hung his teammates, and his old coach out to dry by disappearing in the playoffs?

Markus Naslund was known as emotionally fragile player in Pitt, and transformed himself into a legit superstar, and leader under Keenan's coaching. Say what you want about Keenan;s stay in Vancouver (it was BAD), but he made Naslund into an NHL star.

Clearly, Huselius is one of the guys that is most in need of someone to change something within him, in the playoffs, if the Flames are going to be able to count on him to help them get a Cup.

[ProbieRules]

To me since reaching the finals in 04, they have pretty much underachieved badly since...Keenan is certainly a maniac...but this might be what this group needs...What are Iron Mike's CURRENT views on fighting? Will he have an enforcer playing? I remember him most for his Flyers and Rangers days...when he had some pretty tough teams.

[bengino]

i don't know.. Kristian Huselius and Marcus Nilson were both dealt to the Flames by Mike Keenan for peanuts, and now both will be playing under him? that may prevail as a very enigmatic relationship. I guess we will see by Christmas next season if the guy still has it.