Mike Keenan lands a new head coaching job four years after leaving the KHL

Mike Keenan. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I mention his name? 

Well, it's probably not the vineyards of Tuscany, the leaning tower of Pisa or the Renaissance art of the 16th century, but that's exactly what it should be now that Keenan has been named head coach of the Italian Men's National Hockey Team by the Italian Ice Sports Federation.

Italy's men's hockey team has not qualified for the Winter Olympics since 2006 when it received automatic entry as host during the Torino/Turin Games. They placed 11th out of 12 teams in that tournament and haven't been anywhere close to qualifying since. But, they'll of course be back in the games in 2026 when they host the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. It'll be up to Keenan to ice a squad capable of at least not getting embarrassed by hockey powerhouses like Canada, USA, Sweden and Russia, which is no easy task because Keenan himself hasn't been behind a bench in nearly five years.

Keenan's last coaching job ended in 2018 when he was head coach of the Kunlun Red Stars of the KHL. His last stint in the NHL came in 2009 with the Calgary Flames. The 72 year old has coached eight NHL teams spanning 25 seasons from 1984 until 2009 and was a very successful coach for nearly 10 seasons in the KHL following that. He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top bench boss in his rookie season with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1984 and led the New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup championship in 1994. Internationally, he has coached the Canadian men's team to Canada Cup victories in 1987 and 1991.

At 72 years old and with championships at every level that he's ever coached at, nobody would blame Keenan for kicking up his heels and calling it a career. After all, what's left to accomplish in the hockey world? But that's simply not in his character and you have to really respect him for his determination and willingness to put in the mental and physical grind day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year and now decade after decade. Love him or hate him, Keenan is the epitome of a "hockey lifer".