Why did Keenan leave New York so quickly after he coached the Rangers to the Cup?
Mike Keenan's leaving the NYR in 1994
- Thread starter jghockey
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Keenan claimed it had alot to do with Neil Smith. Supposedly, Keenan went to management to get the Larmer and Matteau/Noonan deals made after Smith told him no. They each had their way of how things should be and who should make such decisions, they didn't see eye to eye very much. Keenan claimed he was forced out, and had every intention of staying (although there was a rumor of him looking into going to Detroit). 3 sides to the story I guess, Mike's, Neil's, and somewhere in between..the truth.
tony d
Registered User
That was quite the interesting saga. Don't remember Detroit being a possible landing spot for him. Can't see Keenan having the same success with Detroit that Bowman did.
Nedved was the compensation for losing Keenan, I forget if it was a contractual thing or if tampering was the reason. Keenan was still under contract for a few more years. Detroit was the rumor during the '94 finals, not sure if there was any tampering investigation from Bettman, but the rumor was legit.
Chicago Tribune 6/12/94 Paul Sullivan, 9/25/94 Mike Kiley
New York Times 6/12/94 mentions it too.
Chicago Tribune 6/12/94 Paul Sullivan, 9/25/94 Mike Kiley
New York Times 6/12/94 mentions it too.
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According to Smith, he wanted Bowman and Al Arbor in April of 1993. Keenan was third on his wish list. If Keenan had accepted the offer from Philadelphia, Smith could have had Bowman the next month. Here are Smith comments below.
“With about a week to go in the season, I told [ownership] that there were only three people who could win the Cup with our team,” Smith said. “One was Scotty Bowman, but he was coaching the Penguins. The second was Al Arbour, but he was tied up with the Islanders.
“The third was Mike, and he was the only one who was available because he’d been fired as general manager in Chicago early that year after giving up coaching the previous summer. So to me, he was the only guy for the job.”
Smith wanted to work quickly to rinse out the bad taste from 1992-93, but there was another reason for his haste. Keenan, you see, had an offer in hand from the Flyers, whom he had coached to a pair of Cup final appearances in 1985 and 1987 during his four-year stint on Broad Street.
“I met with Mike in Toronto at his agent’s office on the last day of the season,” Smith said. “And [agent] Rob Campbell showed us the paperwork on the offer from Philly, which was for five years. That was his leverage. And so we hired him, and the next day we introduced him as our head coach.”
Keenan and Smith hated each other. After the SC victory, Smith 'missed' a bonus payment that was due to Keenan by one day and Keenan used that as an excuse to claim a breach of contract. Eventually this led to a whole mess where Bettman fined Detroit and St.Louis for tampering. New York ended up having to pay Keenan that bonus, but Keenan had to repay the Rangers part of that bonus. The Rangers were fined for filing a lawsuit against Keenan's agent, Rob Campbell. Keenan received a 60 day suspension. Before that hearing in Principal Bettman's office, Smith and Keenan reached a deal to trade Nedved to New York for Tikkanen and Doug Lidster as compensation.
HOCKEY; Rangers Acquire Nedved In the Keenan Dispute
https://nypost.com/2018/04/16/behind-the-coaching-hire-that-took-the-rangers-back-to-glory/
“With about a week to go in the season, I told [ownership] that there were only three people who could win the Cup with our team,” Smith said. “One was Scotty Bowman, but he was coaching the Penguins. The second was Al Arbour, but he was tied up with the Islanders.
“The third was Mike, and he was the only one who was available because he’d been fired as general manager in Chicago early that year after giving up coaching the previous summer. So to me, he was the only guy for the job.”
Smith wanted to work quickly to rinse out the bad taste from 1992-93, but there was another reason for his haste. Keenan, you see, had an offer in hand from the Flyers, whom he had coached to a pair of Cup final appearances in 1985 and 1987 during his four-year stint on Broad Street.
“I met with Mike in Toronto at his agent’s office on the last day of the season,” Smith said. “And [agent] Rob Campbell showed us the paperwork on the offer from Philly, which was for five years. That was his leverage. And so we hired him, and the next day we introduced him as our head coach.”
Keenan and Smith hated each other. After the SC victory, Smith 'missed' a bonus payment that was due to Keenan by one day and Keenan used that as an excuse to claim a breach of contract. Eventually this led to a whole mess where Bettman fined Detroit and St.Louis for tampering. New York ended up having to pay Keenan that bonus, but Keenan had to repay the Rangers part of that bonus. The Rangers were fined for filing a lawsuit against Keenan's agent, Rob Campbell. Keenan received a 60 day suspension. Before that hearing in Principal Bettman's office, Smith and Keenan reached a deal to trade Nedved to New York for Tikkanen and Doug Lidster as compensation.
HOCKEY; Rangers Acquire Nedved In the Keenan Dispute
https://nypost.com/2018/04/16/behind-the-coaching-hire-that-took-the-rangers-back-to-glory/
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The Panther
Registered User
I sometimes think the Rangers won the Cup in '94 despite Keenan, not because of him.
This is the guy who benched Brian Leetch early in the season. Messier, Leetch, and Lowe (I think it was those three) also had to have a "coach intervention" in the playoffs where they stormed into his office and basically told him to cool off.
This is the guy who benched Brian Leetch early in the season. Messier, Leetch, and Lowe (I think it was those three) also had to have a "coach intervention" in the playoffs where they stormed into his office and basically told him to cool off.
Because Bowman was still coaching the Penguins in the playoffs when Keenan was hired. Read Smith's quote in italics in my post. Smith didn't want to wait to hire a coach.
blood gin
Registered User
- Jan 17, 2017
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For whatever reason Keenan didn't like Leetch from the getgo but I guess learned to accept him. But there were rumors he was interested in dealing him that season.
Keenan is an odd fellow. Not sure exactly what of Leetch's game he didn't appreciate or what exactly Leetch had to prove to him. He was a terrific player.
Yeah. Keenan wanted to trade Leech for Chelios.
NYR94
Registered User
He wasn't Chris Chelios. 99.99% of all defensemen to ever play weren't Chris Chelios either. That was Keenan's problem with him. I think the rumor out there was Leetch and Richter for Chelios and Belfour. I think if it were up to Keenan every player on the roster would have a significant grit/toughness/nastiness component to their game.
Keenan even benched Leetch in the playoffs against NJ in 1994, I think for the third period. Think about that. How many Conn Smythe winners in NHL history have gotten benched during their amazing playoff runs?
I think Keenan left NY after the Cup because he wanted to have control of the roster--he wanted that GM role. He tried to heavily influence Neil Smith's roster decisions and Smith acted on some of his input but Keenan wanted 100% control. Plus I think for him winning the Cup in NY and breaking the curse was the ultimate goal for him and once he achieved it after year one, he felt his work in NY was done.
I keep wondering what would have happened if Keenan had returned to Philly to coach the Legion of Doom and the rest of the Flyers.
Not a bad trade at all, if it's a style preference.
Chelios was also a multi-Norris winning Dman.
Keenan would have clashed with Clarke again like his first time around and been fired after two years. Ed Snider and Clarke would have grown weary of Keenan's attempts to undermine Clarke. Funny thing is, Clarke and Keenan are friends. Clarke stated some thing years ago, and I'm paraphrasing, that Keenan is great to have beers with and shoot the bull, but a working relationship with him is difficult.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
What I don't get is why would Detroit even go after Mike Keenan when they had Scotty Bowman behind the bench? Unless the plan was for Bowman to focus on the managerial side and Keenan on coaching, but even then, those two would butt heads because Keenan was a control freak.
NYR94
Registered User
They didn't already have Bowman. Bowman's first year in Detroit was 93-94, same as Keenan's first and only year with the Rangers. The Rangers hired Keenan in April 93. Bowman signed with Detroit in June. Bowman wouldn't have focused on managing as part of a tandem with Keenan in Detroit anyway because Pittsburgh originally wanted to keep Bowman after the 93 loss to the Isles, but only as a consultant. He didn't want to do that.
Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
One of us here is confused.
Bowman coached the Red Wings in 1993-94, like you said, same year Keenan coached the Rangers to the Cup Final.
Detroit pursued Keenan in the summer of 1994, after Bowman's first season in Detroit, after Keenan won the Stanley Cup. Detroit was penalized for tampering. They pursued Keenan while they had Bowman behind the bench.
Looks like we have some clarification here, as the plan was for Keenan to take over the GM duties in Detroit, had they been successful in hiring him.
HOCKEY; Keenan Abruptly Quits a Month After Cup Victory
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vadim sharifijanov
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- Oct 10, 2007
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i wonder how '94 chelios and '94 messier would have co-existed?
i get that '02 chelios fell into the established pecking order in detroit, but would peak chelios have? i can scarcely think of two stronger personalities in the game at that time, other than patrick roy.
i get that '02 chelios fell into the established pecking order in detroit, but would peak chelios have? i can scarcely think of two stronger personalities in the game at that time, other than patrick roy.
NYR94
Registered User
You are 100% correct. I was the confused one. Got messed up with the years, my bad.
If the Rangers lose that Devils series in '94, does Keenan still leave?
Sounds like the Cup win led to a playoff bonus situation that led to the messy situation.
Without a Cup win and perhaps no playoff bonus...... that could have been interesting.
Sounds like the Cup win led to a playoff bonus situation that led to the messy situation.
Without a Cup win and perhaps no playoff bonus...... that could have been interesting.
NewtJorden
Registered User
The Panther
Registered User
Indeed! I suspect any "Keenan-to-Detroit" talk wouldn't have gotten very far once Yzerman was taken into account. I think Yzerman basically wanted Keenan's head after August 1991, and he would not have been a happy camper if ice-cube-chewing Mike had been his coach.
McGarnagle
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- Aug 5, 2017
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Imagine if he accepted that offer from Philadelphia. Keenan and Lindros together would've been incredibly toxic.
The Panther
Registered User
You never know. They were both hard-nosed Ontario guys and, remember, Keenan had selected 18-year-old Lindros for Team Canada '91 over peak Steve Yzerman. It might have worked. But inevitably, there would have come some point where they locked heads... not unlike Clarke and Lindros.
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