Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers plays against the New York Islanders (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Mike Keenan, nicknamed "Iron Mike," is renowned for his intense coaching style and success in the NHL. He coached eight different NHL teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues, over a career spanning more than two decades. Keenan's crowning achievement came in 1994 when he led the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup victory in 54 years.
Beyond the NHL, he also found success internationally, coaching Canada to victory in the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups. Known for his fiery demeanor, Keenan remains a polarizing figure in hockey, respected for his tactical brilliance and criticized for his confrontational approach.
New York Rangers Built For Success
As he looks across the league, Keenan sees the New York Rangers falling down the NHL standings. A lot of that disappointment comes from the heightened expectations placed on the Rangers due to their incredible success last season.
“They had an unbelievable last year, setting records, finishing in first place overall, going into the final four,” said Keenan in an exclusive interview with RG. “So, they built an expectation for themselves and the fanbase that they would do well. Every team can go through cycles, ups, downs, and hardships and not meet the expectations of what was built the year before.”
But, as we’ve seen in the past, many championship teams faltered early during the NHL season only to surge back up the standings towards the end of the season. According to Keenan, it’s not about how you start the season, but where your team is at when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin in April.
Keenan still believes the Rangers can turn it around, as they have some elite pieces on the club that could flip a switch at any time. Keenan specifically points to Rangers goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, as being the key piece in propelling the Rangers through this current funk and to continued playoff success.
“They’ve got the goalie to win the Cup. That’s why they secured Shesterkin,” said Keenan about the Rangers franchise player.
Evolving as a Coach in the NHL
Since Keenan left the NHL in 2009, coaching has evolved in a big way; gone are the days of intense and tough coaches. The NHL has seen the rise of more personable coaches, capable of relating to their players in order to extract their maximum potential.
One of the remaining old guard is veteran NHL coach, John Tortorella; who shockingly sat leading rookie scorer, Matvei Michkov, for two games earlier this year. According to Keenan, Tortorella was doing what he needed to do to get the best out of his player.
“I know John well and that's his style. Every Russian player that played for me liked tough coaching.
People have to understand, and many don't, how difficult it is to make that jump from junior hockey to the NHL as a youngster,” said Keenan. “It's very difficult, so he probably has a lot to learn and he's got a tough teacher and, in the long run, that's going to help him.”
Tough love is sometimes the best way to get the best out of any athlete; but just like the players have evolved over time, so to must the coaches.
Keenan points to another veteran coach, Paul Maurice, who was known for his fierce approach to coaching and his hard style of communication. However, over the years in Winnipeg and now in Florida, he’s been able to adapt his style to better fit his team and goals.
“The Panthers won the Stanley Cup with Paul Maurice last year. I wouldn't say that he's really tough, but he's not soft; and the players played hard and played physical for him. And I'm happy about that,” said Keenan about the evolution of coaching. “During every generation, players change. I coached for five decades, and, if you don't adjust, you won't last that long.”
Keenan applauds the way the game has evolved, but remains committed to the idea that a coach’s principles are non-negotiable. Winning the Stanley Cup requires a ton of self-control and discipline and that stems from the coach all the way through down to the team.
“It's a different dynamic, but in the end, I think that you have to have discipline and set a standard. If you don't, you're not going to win the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is extremely difficult to win and sometimes you have to lose to understand how difficult it is. In Florida, you have to remember they lost in the Finals before winning it all a year later. So, I think there's still room for demanding coaching, but maybe your methodology has to change.”
Coming Up Through The Ranks
On the flipside, younger players are put under a microscope far younger than ever before, due to the growing importance of the NHL Draft in the salary cap era.
These youngsters are followed as early as 15 years of age, and put through some of the most pressure-inducing situations. Keenan believes, in some cases, there’s a benefit for these younger players; as they learn to prepare themselves for a career in the NHL.
“I think these young players are exposed to a lot of international play, a lot of media and a lot of pressure from their country and the expectations placed upon them. You know, right now, Russia's not in the World Junior Tournament, but that's a huge, huge tournament. And it, in some ways, helps very young players develop because now they have to play really well. They have to deal with all the media attention, so it's an education for them,” said Keenan of the experience of young players coming up through the ranks.
One of the most interesting prospects in the NHL right now has to be Montreal Canadiens prospect, Ivan Demidov. The 5th-overall pick in 2024, along with Michkov in Philadelphia, represent two of the best youngsters in the game.
Demidov is currently fighting for ice-time in the KHL at the moment, waiting out his contract until he can join the Canadiens for the 2025-2026 season. Keenan believes it’s important for him to learn everything he can in the KHL, but that the Canadiens will have to prepare a support group for him once he does finally decide to make the jump.
The pressure many of these youngsters face, like Demidov will no likely face next year, can sometimes be crippling. Keenan remembers coaching a young Jeremy Roenick many moons ago, revealing how the veteran guidance of players like Michelle Goulet and Steve Larmer helped the Hall of Famer hit the ground running in the NHL.
“And when those young players get to the NHL, there's so much expected of them, and they need to have good support from their respective clubs. Whether it's the GM, the coach or more importantly, his teammates, they need someone to say: ‘Hey, it's okay’. Like Michelle Goulet, if you know what I mean. Like Steve Larmer. They were very important to Jeremy Roenick. Jeremy Roenick is now in the Hall of Fame. He was a kid, and they would be teaching him on the bench, and I still remember how Goulet would say: ‘Hey, kid, do this. Hey, kid, do this.’ It was very helpful.”
Breaking Records And Legacy
Alexander Ovechkin is on the verge of returning from injury and continuing his quest to beat Wayne Greztky’s goal-scoring record. But, as his former coach, Keenan can’t help but think of what this kind of achievement could also mean for the Great One, who could finally see one of his records get surpassed.
“Well, the nice thing is I coached Wayne Gretzky, and he will be the first to congratulate Alex.
Hopefully, Ovechkin stays healthy, because we all expected him to get to that milestone. Hopefully, he comes back, and his leg is strong enough to play again,” said Keenan of the Great 8. “For Wayne, Ovechkin breaking his record is a milestone of accomplishment and the recognition of how his impact in hockey around the globe. He was such a great player and a great goal-scorer. It is a positive thing, so we're rooting for Ovechkin.”
For Keenan, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime moment in hockey that Ovechkin is set to achieve; as nobody thought any of Greztky’s scoring would ever be broken. And yet here we are, just 26 goals away.
“You don't know if anyone will come around and break this record again. We don't know how the league is going to evolve,” said Keenan regarding how special this moment could be for the NHL. “The game is going to evolve, the rules will change, as they try to put more scoring into the game, maybe then that gets bigger.”
Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.
