Keenan Calls NHL’s Penalties Fair : Hockey: Two-month suspension, heavy fines do nothing to sour mood of St. Louis coach and general manager.

Mike Keenan, cleared by the NHL to become coach and general manager of the Blues, returned to St. Louis on Monday, sounding not at all like a man who had lost $500,000 in fines and penalties and suspended for two months without pay.

“I feel fantastic,” he said.

After eight hours of talks Sunday in New York at the office of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, a settlement was reached in the dispute involving Keenan, his former team, the New York Rangers, and his new one, the St. Louis Blues.

Bettman suspended Keenan for 60 days beginning Monday, fined him $100,000, and ordered him to return four-fifths of his $500,000 signing bonus with the Rangers, whom he coached last season to their first Stanley Cup title in 54 years.

The Blues were fined $250,000, the league maximum. The Detroit Red Wings, who tried to hire Keenan before he agreed to terms with the Blues, were fined $25,000.

New York also was fined $25,000 for filing a lawsuit to keep Keenan from signing with St. Louis. And the Rangers agreed to drop the lawsuit and pay Keenan the $608,000 playoff bonus that set off the whole chain of events.

Bettman, who took over as commissioner in 1993, had stern words for all three teams involved.

“Such conduct cannot and will not be tolerated,” he said.

At a news conference Monday, Blues president Jack Quinn said Bettman “wanted to kind of set a tone as the new guy in town, the new sheriff, as to how things were going to be.”

Keenan called the settlement fair.

“Mr. Bettman did a fabulous job bringing the parties together and resolving this situation,” Keenan said.

“I have a great deal of respect for him and what he was able to accomplish.

“We all achieved the objective we set out to accomplish, and that was for me to be here in St. Louis,” Keenan said.

Keenan declared himself a free agent July 15 when the Rangers were a day late with the bonus payment. He signed with the Blues two days later, prompting the Rangers’ lawsuit.

The Blues and Rangers settled their differences Saturday in New York.

The teams agreed to a trade that sent center Petr Nedved to New York for Esa Tikkanen and Doug Lidster.

“We’re giving up a player who turns 30 in December (Tikkanen) for a player who’s 22 years of age,” Smith said. “I think down the road (Nedved) could be a 120-, 130-point guy--150 if they keep extending the schedule.”

Keenan said the trade helps both teams. “They bring depth to the organization, which I hink the Blues need,” he said. “And the Rangers are getting a young player who will be surrounded by champions. Maybe that will help his development.”