Iron Mike, coming to an arena near you?
(Obviously not if a lockout occurs, but try to play along.)
That’s what the man himself suggested in a recent interview. Yes, Mike Keenan -- who turns 63 in October -- told NHL.com he’d like to get back behind an NHL bench and add to his 672 career wins.
“I’d love to coach back in the League. You never know if the game is going to call you back or not,” Keenan said. “I still have the intellect for it, the knowledge and the passion for the game.”
Keenan hasn’t coached in the NHL since 2008-09, when he led Calgary to a 46-30-6 record and the club’s most recent playoff berth (the Flames since missed the last three postseasons.)
Even though he’d be the oldest coach in the league, Keenan’s return isn’t far-fetched. He interviewed with Caps GM George McPhee for the then-vacant Washington gig back in June, and says his age could be an asset in a league where one third of the coaches are under the age of 46.
“Bowman coached almost until he was 70. Hitchcock set a good example. He’s the oldest coach in the League and won Coach of the Year,” Keenan said. “I know if I can get back in the League I can do a superb job. Whether that will ever happen, I have no idea.”