Hullabaloo Has Keenan Spinning On

Only hours after he was fired as the St. Louis Blues’ coach and general manager last week, Mike Keenan was busy revising history.

Speaking to selected reporters, he professed surprise at a dismissal he provoked and insisted that some of his worst deals--such as dumping Steve Duchesne and Esa Tikkanen for draft picks and trading Brendan Shanahan for Chris Pronger--were made because he had been ordered to cut the payroll. He acknowledged that “we” made some mistakes, but overall, the team’s failures weren’t his fault.

They never are.

He blasted Brett Hull for not being a team player, although Hull’s World Cup performance showed that with proper coaching, he can excel.

And although Keenan implied that his actions were dictated by budgetary restraints, he’s the one who overpaid Dale Hawerchuk and threw $10 million away on free agent Joe Murphy. The Blues are paying $2.3 million to players they bought out and $2.4 million to players they traded.

They also owe Keenan $7 million, to be paid over time or in a lump sum within 90 days, at his choice.

They will pay for his follies for years. They sent their 1997 first-round draft pick to the Kings when they rented Wayne Gretzky for half a season, their farm system is bare and the goodwill built over 30 years in St. Louis was battered.

“We were trying to develop a team-oriented concept and a team that would adhere basically to the same principles for everyone,” Keenan told the Toronto Sun. “It didn’t work out that way.

“Basically, you try to do what is right. You may not always like my style, but I think that I have a good handle on what it takes to be a winner and the implementation of a good program. At this point, I guess, they weren’t ready for it.”

“They” never are. Ideally, players sacrifice individual goals for the team good. Keenan makes them sacrifice their individuality. Only he can be an attraction. But fans don’t pay to see coaches or general managers. After Keenan got rid of Shanahan and Curtis Joseph, Hull was the only player whose star outshone his. Their clash was inevitable.

“When you’re in St. Louis, there always seems to be a huge weight on your shoulders,” Shanahan said. “It has happened to just about every player before [Hull], so I don’t think [Hull] should take it too personally.”

Said Hull, “It’s a lot more upbeat now. Mike was an intimidating type of guy. I think 95% of the guys were scared to death of him. It wasn’t just me [who disliked Keenan], it was a lot of guys.”

Former Blues coach Jacques Demers, who scouts for the Montreal Canadiens, was the early favorite to replace Keenan as coach. However, he’s a fervent back-patter and defers to stars, and the Blues’ owners may avoid that to quash any notion that they’re catering to Hull. As a bow to fans, they might pick Bernie Federko, a former Blues’ captain, or former coach Brian Sutter. Colorado assistant coach Joel Quenneville is also a candidate.

Keenan will turn up again, perhaps with the 1998 Canadian Olympic team. For now, he and former Disney executive Michael Ovitz, who’s collecting $90 million in severance pay, can join former New York Knick coach Don Nelson on Maui, unemployed and getting rich at it.

STARRY, STARRY NIGHT

Congratulations to Dallas’ Ken Hitchcock and Florida’s Doug MacLean, who will coach the Western and Eastern All-Star teams, respectively, Jan. 18 at San Jose. Their assistants will be Marc Crawford of Colorado and Paul Maurice of Hartford. Hitchock and MacLean earned the jobs based on their division teams leading their respective conferences. The assistants are the head coaches of the teams in first place in the other divisions.

Hitchcock, whose team surged to the top on a 5-0-2 streak, didn’t know he was in line for the All-Star job until a few days ago.

“Other than it means our team is in good position, league-wise, it means nothing to me,” he told the Dallas Morning News. “And I don’t mean that to be sarcastic.”

Florida and the Philadelphia Flyers each had 45 points in the Atlantic Division but MacLean won out over Terry Murray because the Panthers had a better winning percentage, even though Philadelphia had more victories. The tiebreaker also applied for the assistant, because the Whalers and Buffalo Sabres each had 38 points. Too bad, because Murray and Buffalo’s Ted Nolan have two of the NHL’s hottest teams.

LETTER OF THE LAW

It’s typical of the NHL to trumpet its Dec. 15 crackdown on illegal goalie equipment, only to back off and give four teams--among them the Mighty Ducks--more time because the pad police didn’t get around to checking the gear of those teams’ goalies. Sounds suspiciously like its crackdown on interference last season, which initially was gung-ho but rapidly lost its steam.

No goalie has been nabbed with oversized equipment, but some are still grumbling about switching their gear, no matter that the difference was often no more than half an inch on their leg pads.

“They might as well make us play naked out there,” Dallas goalie Darcy Wakaluk said.

WORTH THE MONEY

New York Islander defenseman Bryan Berard is becoming a strong candidate for rookie of the year. With four goals and 23 points, he’s tied for fourth among defensemen and he’s third among all rookies. His heady play is especially impressive at a position kids usually take years to grow into.

The Islanders’ only problem is a $650,000 bonus he’s due if he wins the Calder Trophy and a $500,000 bonus if he scores 60 points. He’s on a pace for 58.

“Bad contract, boy,” said Mike Milbury, the Islanders’ general manager and coach.

WHALE OF A TALE

Hartford right wing Kevin Dineen startled viewers during a nationally televised game when he said Paul Coffey’s unhappiness was hurting the Whalers and urged management to trade him quickly. Coffey wasn’t offended. He was delighted, in fact, because he was sent to Philadelphia within a few days.

Last week, Coffey claimed he and Dineen had orchestrated the whole thing before that interview.

“The things he said were kind of premeditated,” Coffey said. “We both talked about it and it helped speed up the process.”

Need any more proof that the inmates are running the asylum?

SLAP SHOTS

Through Sunday, 63 shutouts had been recorded. That projects to 152 for the season, which would obliterate the record of 99 set in 1993-94. . . . Monday’s 0-0 tie between New Jersey and Buffalo was the fourth this season. . . . Boston Bruin Coach Steve Kasper and assistant Cap Raeder feared for their jobs not long ago, but they’re safe for now. They’ve got a tough task because two of the Bruins’ few talented players, Rick Tocchet and Adam Oates, appear to have quit on Kasper. Tocchet, due back from a knee injury this week, will probably be traded soon after the trade embargo ends Friday.

Colorado right wing Claude Lemieux skated last week for the first time since his abdominal surgery Oct. 30. . . . Buffalo’s Derek Plante has scored 14 of his 16 goals at home. . . . Goalie Trevor Kidd, who was so eager for the Calgary Flames to end their three-goalie system, is 0-7-1 since Rick Tabaracci was traded.

The Whalers may move to St. Paul, Minn., or Columbus, Ohio, if they don’t get a new arena in Hartford. Make that when they don’t get a new arena. The city may let them out of the final year of their lease so they can leave after this season. . . . The Ottawa Senators, trying to boost attendance, cut parking fees and announced an array of family plans and $1 hot dog nights. So far, it’s no sale. Their last four crowds averaged 12,638.

Detroit assistant coach Barry Smith will leave this week to coach Malmo of the Swedish Elite League but will return in March. Mike Krushelnyski will step in. . . . John Paddock has gotten three offers since being fired as Phoenix’s general manager. . . . New York Ranger Coach Colin Campbell was livid after tough guy Shane Churla defied his orders and fought in two consecutive games. Churla recently returned from an eye injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks are said to be shopping goalie Ed Belfour, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. . . . The Washington Capitals’ new arena won’t be ready for the start of the 1997-98 season, as planned. . . . The NHL is looking into Colorado General Manager Pierre Lacroix’s confrontation with Detroit forward Martin Lapointe last Tuesday outside the Red Wings’ locker room. Lacroix was incensed that a check by Lapointe left Avalanche defenseman Alexei Gusarov with a concussion.

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First and Foremost

Although New York Islander rookie Bryan Berard is a candidate for rookie of the year, his chances of winning may be slim because only three defensemen have won the Calder Trophy in the last 20 years. Here are the winners in the last two decades:

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Year Player Position Team 1996 Daniel Alfredsson Forward Ottawa 1995 Peter Forsberg Forward Colorado 1994 Martin Brodeur Goaltender New Jersey 1993 Teemu Selanne Forward Winnipeg 1992 Pavel Bure Forward Vancouver 1991 Ed Belfour Goaltender Chicago 1990 Sergei Makarov Forward Calgary 1989 Brian Leetch Defenseman N.Y. Rangers 1988 Joe Nieuwendyk Forward Calgary 1987 Luc Robitaille Forward Kings 1986 Gary Suter Defenseman Calgary 1985 Mario Lemieux Forward Pittsburgh 1984 Tom Barrasso Goaltender Buffalo 1983 Steve Larmer Forward Chicago 1982 Dale Hawerchuk Center Winnipeg 1981 Peter Stastny Forward Quebec 1980 Ray Bourque Defenseman Boston 1979 Bobby Smith Forward Minnesota 1978 Mike Bossy Forward N.Y. Islanders 1977 Willi Plett Forward Atlanta

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