Print   Recommend

While Keenan takes a moment to gather his thoughts about his future, the next logical step may be something that has never crossed his mind. Keenan's ego and lust for power continues to scare many general managers in the NHL. If a GM could somehow contain Keenan's head, could a drastically different role be the right move for Iron Mike? His coaching skills may be in question, but his ability to turn raw potential into a dominant player is well-proven. Could Keenan channel these skills into an assistant coach role?

Jeremy Roenick. Chris Pronger. Joe Thornton. Olli Jokinen. In each of his stops (and to a lesser extent, Markus Naslund, who received more ice time and responsibilities under Keenan), a top player has credited "Mad Mike" with the maturation of their careers.

In Boston, Thornton experienced Keenan's tough love right away. Thornton's sweater carried the alternate captain's A on his chest, but Keenan forced him to live up to its responsibilities. When Thornton told Keenan that he received the letter simply because, "I showed up one morning and it was there," it was promptly removed the next day. Keenan challenged Thornton to grow into the leadership role and to live up to his potential as a great, not just good, player.

Thornton's focus and drive thrived under Keenan's watch. It grew to the point where he earned the captaincy after changes were made behind the bench. "Iron Mike" challenged the young Bruin to command clutch situations, reduce bad penalties, and be a bull on the ice in the mold of Mark Messier. For whatever bitterness Beantown has for Keenan, his legacy is in the development of big No. 19.

Chris Pronger's rise to superstardom was similarly nurtured by Keenan's "tough love." Vilified by many St. Louis fans after being traded fan favorite Brendan Shanahan for a Pronger, Keenan pushed and prodded the young blueliner to shape up his professionalism, conditioning, and overall game. "Mike Keenan was hard on me, but at the same time, I think he really helped me out," Pronger told ESPN in 2000, "He harped on me about conditioning and how valuable it is and how much you can improve your game. I think I've taken that to heart and trained very hard in the offseason."

Keenan also taught Pronger the importance of keep a level-headed game. When the young Pronger would make a bad play that led to a goal, Keenan continued to give him regular shifts. His point was to show Pronger that every shift is individual and to not let prior errors affect future plays.

Keenan was nearly crucified in St. Louis when the (Brendan) Shanahan-for-Pronger deal was made. After Pronger emerged as a league MVP, perennial Norris candidate, and arguably the best defenseman in the game, no one is crying foul in St. Louis. Like Boston, for all the madness surrounding Mad Mike, he has left the legacy of a franchise player.

Olli Jokinen was the poster boy for underachieving first-round draft picks. Picked by the L.A. Kings at third overall (in front of such notable players as Marian Hossa, fellow Panther Roberto Luongo, Eric Brewer, and Sergei Samsonov), Jokinen started his NHL career by disappointing Kings management. Constantly out of shape and lacking a hard-nosed approach to the game, Jokinen's lack of development frustrated the Kings enough to ship him to the Islanders in the Ziggy Palffy deal.

On Long Island, Jokinen did not fair much better. Within a year, Jokinen was packaged with Roberto Luongo and sent to the Florida Panthers. In his first season there, Jokinen amassed a lackluster 16 points.

When Mike Keenan first encountered Jokinen, he saw potential. There was size and skill, but motivation and conditioning were missing. Keenan challenged Jokinen to take care of his body before giving him a bigger role on the ice. He was placed in crucial game situations and given a leadership role on the team. These responsibilities have helped Jokinen blossom from a first-round bust to the captain and offensive leader of the Florida Panthers.

With such a track record of developing superstars, would a team be crazy enough to hire Keenan as an assistant to work with youth? Of course, Keenan would have to check his ego at the door -- and that is a monumental task in itself.

If Keenan was able to swallow his pride and accept a diminished team on a club, what could he do with players such as Nashville's David Legwand and San Jose's Patrick Marleau? That's a big if, of course, and a team would also have to be willing to gamble on an unfamiliar role for Keenan. But if the final product is a future Chris Pronger or Joe Thornton, who will argue with the results?

Have something to say? Visit the message boards and discuss this article. Comments? Agree? Disagree? Send in your feedback about this article.