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Really obscure Canucks question (Mike Keenen era)


brewdog

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Wayyyy back in the day, I remember someone (maybe Don Taylor) reporting that Mike Keenen had all the player numbers removed from the helmets as soon as he took over as coach. I can't remember if it was said that he did this everywhere he coached, but it was never explained why he did this.

Anyone know the story?

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I don't have any insight into this...however I have a story about Keenan that would fan the hatred that we all have for him...

I think it was 1980 Memorial Cup when Keenan was coaching the Peterborough Petes...he tanked a game against Regina Pats so that his Petes could play against a weaker Cornwall Royals in the final game...Keenan tanking the game was obvious and I remember as a kid reading about it in the Winnipeg Free Press, my hometown paper. The sweet justice was the Cornwall Royals, led by Dale Hawerchuk, Scott Ariel (the same Wolves coach) and a midget defenceman named Dave Ezard laid the boots to Keenan's team.

I have hated Mike Keenan since the spring of 1980.

I remember that Keenan tankng a game in the Memorial Cup was the reason why John Ferguson senior refused to hire a young Mike Keenan to coach the Winnipeg Jets.

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I don't have any insight into this...however I have a story about Keenan that would fan the hatred that we all have for him...

I think it was 1980 Memorial Cup when Keenan was coaching the Peterborough Petes...he tanked a game against Regina Pats so that his Petes could play against a weaker Cornwall Royals in the final game...Keenan tanking the game was obvious and I remember as a kid reading about it in the Winnipeg Free Press, my hometown paper. The sweet justice was the Cornwall Royals, led by Dale Hawerchuk, Scott Ariel (the same Wolves coach) and a midget defenceman named Dave Ezard laid the boots to Keenan's team.

I have hated Mike Keenan since the spring of 1980.

I remember that Keenan tankng a game in the Memorial Cup was the reason why John Ferguson senior refused to hire a young Mike Keenan to coach the Winnipeg Jets.

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Sometime in I think 97? Keenan was brought in as coach and oddly then took over the GM job for a while...My best guess is this was a financial decision, or just to be a jerk.

He and Messier were a blight on this team. Players hated keenan and I am sure he hated them right back. He traded out almost half the roster, including Trevor Linden in just a few weeks time. I am not a Linden devotee, I wish he never came back to Vancouver, as it cast a shadow over Naslund's captaincy, however I would have preferred LInden to Messier/Keenan hands down. My overall guess is that this was a nuanced way to punish players..taking away some of their individual branding on the ice, as well as a money saving idea: no personalized helmets means helmet A can be used for player B when A is traded away, without too much fuss or work in the change over of the helmet.

Keenan Messier...now I am mad at you for reminding me of this tragedy in Vancouver history. >:o[

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