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Q & A with Michael Farber Keenan resurfaces -- again -- with Bruins
Updated: Wednesday October 25, 2000 1:59 PM
In the wake of Pat Burns' firing, CNNSI.com caught up with SI senior writer Michael Farber to get his reaction of the news, Mike Keenan's hiring and where the Bruins are headed with a new man at the helm. CNNSI.com: With the way Pat Burns and Boston management bickered the past several months this move really comes as no surprise, does it? What's your sense of the firing? Farber: Pat Burns had run afoul of Harry Sinden. But more importantly, Mike O'Connell, Harry's right-hand man, had been more visceral with Burns. They had been going at it for a while. Burns had picked on some of O'Connell's favorites, notably Sergei Samsonov. There were some real clashes there. Burns was clearly on a short leash in that situation. Also, if you look back at Burns' coaching history -- in Montreal and Toronto -- he has had a certain shelf life. Four years and Burns wears out his welcome. I think that's true of most coaches, but certainly part of Burns' history. In his heart of hearts, even Burns understands that. CNNSI.com: Burns is a marketable coach. What are his chances that he'll get another coaching opportunity? Farber: Burns has been a proven coach. I think he's a pretty good coach. He coaches a specific way. He's a coach who coaches a defensive style, who is very dependent upon his second and third lines. His strength, I think, is still as a motivator, and that's always a danger. When you stop motivating, or when players stop responding, you clearly have a shorter shelf life. CNNSI.com: At one point last season a frustrated Burns complained about the makeshift roster. Was that his downfall? Farber: That certainly angered and pointed the finger at O'Connell and Sinden, and it probably wasn't a politically wise move to make, whether it was true or not. Certainly the Bruins sabatoged themselves last season with the slow contract negotiations with goalie Byron Dafoe. Although they didn't really slump, Dafoe came in finally and the Bruins played well for a while, and then they collapsed. Of course, they did lose key players along the way -- most importantly, Jason Allison, their first-line center. CNNSI.com: We've watched the coaching carousel in Boston over the past decade. Why is it that Sinden and other people in management aren't held accountable? Farber: Because Sinden is firmly in place. The Bruins haven't lost money. They've almost always made the playoffs. It's an organization that's happy to win around and make money for owner Jeremy Jacobs. They haven't been to the finals since '90. And Ray Bourque, who is one of the most steadfast players out there, was growing fretful, and maybe even a little selfish, that the team had a chance. Harry has been there for three decades now. He's part of the furniture there. CNNSI.com: What does this mean for the Bruins with Mike Keenan taking over the reins? Farber: Keenan almost got the job once before. When the job was open the last time, Keenan was interviewed. And the Bruins were close to naming Keenan, but they backed off at the last minute. Because everywhere Keenan has gone, Keenan has had a power struggle with the people above him, unless he's given all that responsibility. It's a pattern we've seen repeated time and time again with Keenan. It's almost always an owner's hire with Keenan. Whenever there's a vacuum in leadership, Keenan usually steps in and takes over that mantle. CNNSI.com: So the question begs, can Keenan and Boston management co-exist? Farber: I think so. Sinden has been on his way out the door for a number of years. Can Keenan and Mike O'Connell exist? Certainly Keenan said all the right things in his press conference. We'll see because Keenan is a guy who not only likes to coach, but he also likes to shape his team, he likes input and he likes power. That's his history, and I see no reason why that will be different. CNNSI.com: How much power will Bruins management relinquish to Keenan? Farber: The Bruins are a situation where the purse strings have always been tight. They spent a lot of money when they signed some older free agents. It's a team Keenan doesn't know very well, so we're not going to see a great deal of changes. Keenan in the past, among things he's always done, has shaken up the lineup -- often getting rid of not necessarily the best players, but the most popular players. We saw that happen with Denis Savard in Chicago, we saw that happen with Brendan Shanahan in St. Louis, and we saw that in Vancouver with Kirk McLean and Trevor Linden. It's kind of establishing his own beachhead. His only immediate ally is Paul Coffey, who has played for Keenan in Canada Cups. I think it's a different situation in that Keenan doesn't know the personnel very well, and it's going to take him longer to survey. Normally he goes in and shakes things up. CNNSI.com: What is the length of Keenan's deal? Farber: It's a three-year contract for roughly $2 million. The contract puts him in the middle of the pack of coaching contracts, which is a step down for a guy who was at one point the standard-setter of coaching contracts. Keenan was anxious to get back and do all this. I'm sure he'll serve the full three years. The Bruins have, in the past, played musical coaches. Steve Kasper was gone in the blink of an eye. Rick Bowness was fired after a brief stay, one in which he was relatively successful. I think the Bruins want stability in the coaching position. CNNSI.com: What kind of team does Keenan inherit? What kind of mark does he make? Farber: I thought this was going to be a better team last year. They had some good, young developing forwards. I thought Bourque was good for one more year, and Dafoe was a top goaltender in the league. But they've been hit by injuries this year. They've had to make do with 20-year-old Andrew Raycroft in net. I think certainly Keenan will be there to mold this team, a team that still has an upside to it. If the Bruins make the playoffs, and certainly there's a chance of it, Keenan's in a pretty good situation to solidify things. Keenan also has a good appreciation for the game. And coaching in an Original Six city is something he'll get a kick out of. He's done it before in Chicago and in New York. He can be a hard taskmaster, but there are very few players who say, 'I didn't learn anything from him.' Sometimes the lessons are hard-earned. Sometimes Keenan can be a tyrant. But his teams invariably are in shape. He runs as good a practice as you'll find in the NHL. I expect an immediate bump, which will be reflected in the Bruins' play. How long it will last, I'm not sure. I know it's also tough for Keenan because Pat Burns was a friend of his. But Keenan, more than anyone, understands the nature of the business. He's been fired himself many times. The Bruins are not an anonymous team. They have some players with name recognition value in Joe Thornton, Samsonov, Allison when healthy and Anson Carter, if they ever re-sign him. It's a fairly young team. Coffey is his one link for the time being. CNNSI.com: Any truth to the rumor that Keenan will bring in Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan? Farber: (Laughing) And don't forget Greg Gilbert. There are Keenan troops out there. You know, it's the same as Woody Allen. Both have people they are comfortable working with. Certainly Keenan likes his guys. Guys who are Keenan type players.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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