Keenan Quits Stunned Rangers

Mike Keenan, who last month coached the New York Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, shocked the team Friday by saying he was leaving because of a “breach of contractual obligations.”

“I’m here to announce that I’m no longer the coach of the New York Rangers,” said Keenan. “The obligations were not fulfilled” by the Rangers, he said. “There’s quite a significant amount of money involved.”

The Rangers said Keenan’s departure was news to them.

Madison Square Garden Corp., which owns the team, said it was “stunned at the capricious actions of Mr. Keenan and his agent, (Robert) Campbell, and will take all necessary actions to preserve all of its rights.”

MSG said it learned of Keenan’s 1 p.m. news conference through the media. “As of noon today the management of Madison Square Garden was completely unaware of the plans of Mike Keenan to hold a press conference and announce he was no longer part of the Rangers organization.”

The 44-year-old Keenan declined to elaborate on the contractual differences with the Rangers because of what he termed “legal implications.”

Track

Danny Harris, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, was banned from the meet because the International Amateur Athletic Federation told meet organizers he had not completed a four-year ban imposed after testing positive for cocaine in 1992.

Tennis

Jim Courier defeated Richard Krajicek, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and Pete Sampras beat Jacco Eltingh, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 to give the United States a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands in the best-of-five Davis Cup quarterfinal at Rotterdam.

The United States can eliminate the Dutch today with a victory in doubles. Americans Richey Reneberg and Jared Palmer will play Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis.

Miscellany

L.A. lawyer John Argue, architect of the bid that brought the 1984 Summer Olympics to Southern California, will be presented one of the Olympic movement’s most prestigious awards in a ceremony tonight at the Amateur Athletic Foundation. He will receive the Olympic Order from International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch.