MIKE KEENAN TALKS CHARITY, RANGERS AT AUCTION

MIKE KEENAN TALKS CHARITY, RANGERS AT AUCTION

By: Matthew Blittner and Antoinette Cammarano
Steiner Sports hosted its “Fall Classic Auction,” and former-Rangers coach Mike Keenan donated a large portion of his memorabilia to the event - under one condition. Keenan requested that all proceeds made on his items be donated to CUREOM, a part of the Melanoma Research Foundation that funds studies into ocular melanoma.
Keenan’s daughter was diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma in 2011, and through treatment was able to overcome the extremely rare cancer. Yours truly and Antoinette Cammarano spoke with Keenan about this cause, his feelings about the Rangers, and what he’s been up to since that historic Cup win in ‘94.
Read on and see:
Up for auction as part of the “Fall Classic Auction” were Keenan’s miniature-Stanley Cup from the Rangers ‘94 win, game-used jerseys and sticks, and even a Mercedes given to him by the Flyers organization in ‘85.
When asked about the Cup Championship rings, Keenan jokingly said “my daughter told me not to auction those off so we can keep them as family heirlooms.”

The Rangers Cup-win in 1994 was a pivotal point in both the organization and the city as a whole. Per Keenan, “While everyone remembers the heroes of the Cup win (Messier, Richter, Graves) there were unsung heroes who made the win possible; every player brought into the team concept.
“The Rangers had continued success throughout the season. What needs to be remembered, however, is that without excellent goaltending there would have been no cup win. When it comes down to it Ritcher kept us in the game.”
Over twenty years post-Cup win, Keenan said that nothing could beat the elated feeling. “I believed we could win again, but circumstances led to my departure from the Rangers.”
Since his time in the Big Apple, Keenan has worked in both Canada and Russia on various projects. Over the span of the past two-plus decades, the game has undergone some changes, and emphasis is now being placed on analytics.
When asked about this current trend, Keenan replied: “Coaches have their own analytics in their heads. You have to be able to see the game in your mind to play it well. You have to have an understanding of what is happening in each game at each time. It is a tool that coaches use, and the best coaches are able to have it in mind at all times.”

Finally, at the end of our meeting with Keenan, we asked if he had any thoughts on the current Rangers team.  Per Keenan, “I haven’t seen any preseason games so I can’t really say, but in terms of [Henrik] Lundqvist, he reminds me of Richter - you have to have that leadership in the locker room, that desire to win.”

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