Iron Mike shows his kinder, gentler side - Scott Cruickshank
I thought this article deserved its own thread. It a very well written article about Keenan. (StreakingRed posted it in the Game Day Thread LA Kings).
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When Mike Keenan was hired by the Calgary Flames, frantic calls went out to the hockey hinterland. Locals -- players, reporters, fans -- all wondered about the same thing.
What's the deal with this guy?
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The building blocks of his reputation are many -- Scotty lover, player spanker, goalie yanker, stack blower, veteran craver, ice chomper, mind gamer, glare giver, enemy maker, bridge burner, whip cracker, pot stirrer, suit wearer, hair slicker -- but one trait, in particular, kept popping up from those in the know.
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When Iron Mike's team is winning, there's no better boss.
Simply no one.
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"Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah," says Jarome Iginla, nodding. "He's definitely lived up to that side of it. That's what I'd heard -- that he really wants you to enjoy it."
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Keenan, then, has proven to be as good as advertized. And some.
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Would you believe that he harped at his players earlier this season . . . for not savouring their victories enough?
"We'd win games, and sometimes we'd still be too intense or tense the next day," says Iginla. "And even he'd want us to relax a little bit. You always enjoy winning, but I'm starting to realize, you should really enjoy it, then you want to keep it going even more.
"We've adjusted this year -- finding a better balance. We're enjoying our wins and we're allowed to feel good about it -- not that we weren't (in the past), but we're letting ourselves feel good about it. You want to keep that going -- you give it that extra whatever-you-can to keep it going. We're feeling confident enough, comfortable enough . . . ."
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"When you finally get into a groove, you can empower the players," Keenan says. "Which is ultimately what you want to do as a coach, anyway. They take over, in terms of ownership of what's being done with the group on and off the ice. That gives you the best results. At least through my career, I found that to be the best way to handle professional athletes."
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"They'll discuss with me what they want to do in a particular situation -- Jarome, for example, coming to me and suggesting to change the lines around," says Keenan. "Discussing a lot of small details . . . they are part of the decision-making process. You want them to embrace the opportunity to take on the responsibility.
"When they can rely on each other, trust each other, it makes it easier in terms of being a cohesive group."
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A process which, believe it or not, began when the Flames were bumbling about in November.
During the stream of sub-par performances, the head coach kept the strap locked away in his desk. Genuine bag skates never materialized.
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With one eye to the long season ahead, he treated them like grown-ups.
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"I think I was really respectful of them when they struggled . . . and built a base with them when things weren't going well," says Keenan. "I worked them hard, but in a respectful manner. They understand that, recognize that, appreciate that."
