Mike Keenan Fired By The Flames: Sutter In?

Breaking news on Team 1200 Radio "Healthy Scratches" at 5:45pm today, Mike Keenan has been fired by the Calgary Flames according to TSN, and speculation is that Brent Sutter will replace him.

More to come...

From TSN:

FLAMES FIRE KEENAN AS HEAD COACH

Sources tell TSN the Calgary Flames have fired head coach Mike Keenan and will announce the move shortly.

Keenan became the Flames head coach on June 14, 2007. In two years with Keenan at the helm, the Flames posted a record of 88-60-16, making two playoff appearances, but exiting in the first round both years.

This season, Calgary finished in fifth place in the Western Conference but were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks six games into the post-season.

Calgary was Keenan's eighth stop as an NHL head coach.

Details to follow.


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shocking

I'm a little surprised to be perfectly honest.

The Keenan style never lasts too long...

shabbs wrote:The Keenan style never lasts too long...

True, but it usually lasts long enough for *some* results. Two 1st round exits with Iggy, Kipper, Phaneuf.

wprager wrote:
True, but it usually lasts long enough for *some* results. Two 1st round exits with Iggy, Kipper, Phaneuf.

We're in better shape than they are. The only guy worth his massive, long contract is Iginla right now. Phaneuf and Kipper have been sub-par. Whether or not they bounce back will go a long way into Calgary's potential revival.

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:The Keenan style never lasts too long...

True, but it usually lasts long enough for *some* results. Two 1st round exits with Iggy, Kipper, Phaneuf.

I'm sure there's lots more to this that's not being said. But, it is what it is.

504Heater wrote:

wprager wrote:
True, but it usually lasts long enough for *some* results. Two 1st round exits with Iggy, Kipper, Phaneuf.

We're in better shape than they are. The only guy worth his massive, long contract is Iginla right now. Phaneuf and Kipper have been sub-par. Whether or not they bounce back will go a long way into Calgary's potential revival.

Funny, first you see pictures of a guy on the internet, smoking and partying it up. Next thing, the guy is having a sub-par season. I wonder if there's a connection? What do you think, Carey Price?

shabbs wrote:

wprager wrote:

shabbs wrote:The Keenan style never lasts too long...

True, but it usually lasts long enough for *some* results. Two 1st round exits with Iggy, Kipper, Phaneuf.

I'm sure there's lots more to this that's not being said. But, it is what it is.

They were just discussing on Team 1200 how there's a move in pro-sports for younger GMs and coaches. There are a lot of very, very experienced coaches on the sidelines, then you see guys like Bylsma, Clouston, De Boer and they are getting extensions. Maybe Iron Mike will remain on the sidelines a little longer this time.

wprager wrote:
Funny, first you see pictures of a guy on the internet, smoking and partying it up. Next thing, the guy is having a sub-par season. I wonder if there's a connection? What do you think, Carey Price?

Hmmm....

The story tonight from the Associated Press:

Early playoff exit costs Keenan job

CALGARY, Alberta (AP/May 22, 2009)-- Mike Keenan was fired as coach of the Calgary Flames on Friday, almost a month after his team lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Keenan spent just two seasons with Calgary, and general manager Darryl Sutter said expectations were not met.

"Taking into consideration all factors affecting our season-ending result, we believe this is a necessary change required to allow our team to continue toward our objective of winning the Stanley Cup," Sutter said.

The Flames finished the regular season with 46 wins and 98 points, but they were ousted in the first round in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Keenan, who had one year remaining on his contract, said following the playoff loss to Chicago that he believed he would be back to finish his deal.

"I have another year left on my contract," Keenan said. "My expectation is to be here to fulfill my contract."

Keenan was hired as the Flames coach in June 2007, replacing Jim Playfair. He leaves Calgary with an 88-60-16 regular-season record. His 672 victories rank fourth on the career coaching list.

Keenan has coached eight of the 30 teams in the league. He has also led Philadelphia, Chicago, the New York Rangers, St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Florida.

He won the Stanley Cup in 1994 with the Rangers.

The view from Calgary:

Flames fire Keenan
Vicki Hall, The Calgary Herald/May 22, 2009

CALGARY - The Iron Mike reign is over.

A Calgary Flames news release titled "Keenan Relieved of Coaching Duties" hit cyberspace Friday afternoon, marking the official end of two years of Mike Keenan behind the bench at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

"Our team did not meet expectations," general manager Darryl Sutter said in the written statement. "Following detailed evaluation over the past three weeks - and taking into consideration all factors affecting our season-ending result - we believe this is a necessary change required to allow our team to continue toward our objective of winning the Stanley Cup."

Under Keenan, the Flames fell short of that objective, with two consecutive first-round playoff exits courtesy of the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks.

"The Calgary Flames organization appreciates and respects Mike for accepting the opportunity to come to Calgary and are thankful for his efforts over the past two years," Sutter wrote.

With that, the general manager deferred all comment to a news conference scheduled for Tuesday.

The fates of associate coach Jim Playfair and the assistants probably won't be known until July 1, when all their contracts are up.

Keenan, 59, is expected to hold a news conference of his own early next week. He still has a year remaining on a guaranteed contract that is believed to pay him close to $1 million annually.

"I'm always saddened when things like this happen," said Harley Hotchkiss, a member of the Flames ownership group. " I'm sure it was (subject to) a full, thorough discussion by the key people."

Known for his hot temper and unpredictable ways early in his career, Keenan leaves Calgary with the reputation of a toned-down version of his former hard-line self.

"You can point fingers all you want, but obviously, the players have a lot to do with it," forward Eric Nystrom said from his off-season home in Long Island, N.Y. "But if ownership feels it's the right thing for the team, obviously it's something that had to happen."

Nystrom - like many Flames - learned of the head coach's dismissal via text from a teammate who spotted the breaking news on the internet.

It hardly came as an overwhelming shock to Nystrom, who figured something might happen after yet another abysmal conclusion to a promising season.

"We've been bounced from the first round for the past four years in a row," he said. "Nobody's happy with that. And we had that big lead in the division and saw that disappear."

In late January, the Flames held a commanding 14-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks in the race for the Northwest Division title.

In the end, the Canucks stormed back to finish first. Calgary dropped to fifth in the conference and opened the playoffs on the road in Chicago.

The injury-ravaged Flames fell in six games to the youthful Blackhawks.

"People here in Calgary are so nice," said forward Craig Conroy. "But being around the city after we lost, they want action. They feel like we had a better team and we should still be playing.

"Darryl had to make decision. I'm sure it was tough for him, but he's doing what he feels best for the team. And now he's going to have to find someone to replace Mike."

Conroy learned the news via text after watching his daughter Sidney, 4, shine at gymnastics class.

"I was a little surprised - to say the least," Conroy said. "I do like Mike. He's a great man and a great coach. I feel comfortable with Mike.

"It's not just the coach. It's the players. We have to do more. But a lot of times, the guy who takes the fall is the head coach. I think that's what happened here."

Sutter foreshadowed the move in his round of post-season media interviews. The general manager criticized his coach for riding goalie Miikka Kiprusoff to exhaustion.

Kiprusoff played a league-leading 76 games, and Sutter said his goaltender looked tired down the stretch.

"Kipper wanted to play the games," Conroy said. "He always said he wanted to be the guy to play, and Mike has the history of always playing his goaltenders that much. Was it too much?

"I mean, Mike would have given Kipper a day off if he wanted the day off. But he always wanted to play. But the year before, Keenan would play Curtis Joseph and everyone would go in the other direction. It's a catch-22. He either plays too much or not enough."

Sutter's other main complaint centred on the rumour that was team defence.

The Flames were No. 1 in that category in 2005-06, but slipped to No. 23 in 2008-09.

"That's the biggest thing - our goals against," Conroy said. "We have to play better defence. And if we do that, we've got the scoring.

"If we can get back to the top four or five in the league in goals against, then we're going to be a tough team to beat."

Keenan is ranked fourth all-time among NHL coaches in wins with 691 - just one back of third-place Dick Irvin Sr.

And Keenan savoured every single victory as a Flame, in the eyes according to Conroy.

"He was passionate about winning," Conroy said. "When we win, he's more happy than some of the guys. He would be in there cheering with us. Usually coaches just walk in the room and they're not really happy.

"Mike enjoyed the winning part."

In the end, he just didn't win enough.

Eight of the thirty teams? "Suitcase" Sillinger's played for 12. Two "Mikes", 20 teams between them. And Keenan's got more years ahead of him than Sillinger. It will be a race to the finish!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/05/22/sp-hockey-keenan.html