Iron Mike: My Life Behind the Bench

by Mike Keenan, Scott Morrison

The must-read autobiography of one of the NHL's most controversial and successful coaches, winner of the 1994 Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers.

In the fraternity of NHL coaches, some stand out for their winning records, some for their big personalities and some for their unprecedented methods. Mike Keenan stands out on all these counts, and more.
    Breaking into the NHL as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1984, Keenan got instant results. The Flyers hadn't won a playoff round in three seasons; he led them to the Cup Final in his first year. In 1987, he coached a fractious Team Canada to victory in the Canada Cup using a strategy few of his peers had to if your team doesn't get along, give them somebody to hate, together. Keenan instilled unity in his teams by making sure they all wanted to show him up. The wins took care of themselves.
    Keenan's teams won at every level. With championships in the OHL and AHL, it seemed only a matter of time before his resume would include the ultimate prize, and in typical Mike Keenan fashion he would win it on the grandest of stages. The NHL's most valuable franchise, the New York Rangers, hadn't won a Cup in 54 years. At the time, it was the league's longest championship drought. But with five-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier now captain of a star-studded Rangers lineup, there was only one thing missing for a championship run on a coach who could focus all the talent and desire on victory. After a season of controversy and clashing egos, many of them involving the team's bedevilling new coach, in 1994 the Stanley Cup finally returned to Madison Square Garden, considered by many to be the greatest Cup win by a US-based NHL team.
    In the hands of veteran journalist and bestselling author Scott Morrison, Iron Mike takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most explosive runs to the Cup in NHL history, one that has never been told like Keenan at long last shares in this book. Fans also get their long-awaited chance to understand what one of hockey's greatest and most confounding coaches was up to. There is only one Iron Mike in hockey, and love him or hate him, his memoir is an essential read for any fan of the game.

Genres: Hockey, Sports, Nonfiction

333 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Farzan Dubash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and honest read, a lot of these books will gloss over details about specific games/years but I appreciated the amount of detail put in here. Although I was disappointed with how short the Vancouver chapters were, considering all of the controversies there (around Keenan and Mark Messier), and how Canucks fans still view that era in a negative light, it would have been interesting to see those in a bit more detail.

[Michael Cote · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of name dropping. If you aren't from Keenan's generation it will be difficult to relate to much of the subject matter.

[Chantal Côté · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I read all hockey biographies!

Mike Keenan is a controversial coach so I was eager to read his story. I learned how he came into coaching and enjoyed that part. He mostly tells about games in his career, so that became a bit repetitive.

He does explain he pushed players to play better but there are no details what exactly he told them. I am pretty sure he went to extremes degrading them. Although he does express some regrets, I am not sure he understands the pattern in which he was fired time after time, even though he brought most teams to success.

In his words, most teams he started coaching were not in shape and needed better fitness regime. Were his expectations realistic?

This biography confirmed he pushed players outside their psychological limits, made them miserable, to the extent they no longer wanted to play for him. He also could not work with someone above him to make hockey decisions. Winning does not mean much if you severe all your relationships.

I wish he had shared more about his personal life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc of this book.

[Jim Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! I love the inside scoop about why Iron Mike wasn’t tenured longer in New York after winning the cup in 94. Great hockey memories.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty generic hockey read. Pretty detailed about dates and scores but for one of the most disliked, ornery coaches of all time you’d think there’d be more stories involved. According to Mike he never did no wrong and was just misunderstood.
Some of the people he’s known to have clashed with are also difficult, but to me that just makes them all pricks. Pretty much a straight chronology of his career which is interesting in an autopsy kind of way, but it’s missing any sort of substance to make you like him or feel for him.
He barely defends himself and if you only knew him from the book you’d be like “what’s there to defend? Seems like a normal guy “ but he was the ultimate ass as a coach and when you read up and listen to podcasts of people who played for him they all can’t stand him. He was a terrorist in the local room and players and fans, fellow coaches and team personnel are on record as saying he was toxic poison.
This book fell short of any revelation or interest. Happy it’s over.

[Glen House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this book and hearing Mike Keenan's side. He gets pretty vilified; like everything, the story has two sides. He gives a few details that I didn't know about some of his conflicts in his coaching stops, but I'd like to know more. He stops just short of telling where the bodies are buried and giving the juicy details! For example, he talks about Blues ownership forcing him to sell one of the stars. I knew there were some conflicts among players involving Shanahan, but I didn't know he was being forced to move salary. What else was involved there? I guess I commend him on not writing a trashy tell-all book. I also commend him on admitting when and where he made mistakes and could have handled things better. Like him or hate him, he's a legendary coach with a track record of success and of alienating people. This book is worth the read.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing, book was a review of Keenan’s coaching career as told in a chronological order.

No surprises, did point out the people who screwed him over and few others he didn’t like.

Listening to Keenan when he’s on radio on TV he comes across as very well articulate and intelligent. Same in the book. His intelligence seems to end there because the pattern of behaviour in the book appears to show a person with in appropriate coaching tactics and lack of self awareness.

Many coaches were like that, Mike was one of many. Too bad it took so long for things to change for the better in the hockey world.

Good for Mike for sharing and generally admitting he has made many mistakes.

I’m a hockey fan so it was a must read.

[Mike Broderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very torn….I believe all of us rate books based on our interests. I loved this book. This book went through an amazing coaching career and discussed connections to so many amazing players and organizations.
I am definitely biased as his coaching career corresponded with my hockey watching life.
Other side….yes, he does get somewhat detailed about some of the most important games.

There is a percentage of Canadianess to this. Coaching Team Canada, Flames, he is Canadian.
On the flip side, he followed the money and the dream to the United States, Russia.
I enjoyed it, but, I love hockey.

[To Read Pile Too Big · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read pretty much all hockey memoirs, regardless of whether I like the person or not. I’m not a fan of Mike. I think he’s an a$$. Having said that, it is well written and easy to read. I enjoyed it for the most part. Although he does mention some regret in his decisions, I don’t believe he truly sees the error of his ways. Winning is winning and I get that…. but lots of coaches have won without destroying other people along the way. You can treat people with respect and still win.

[M V]

will give it a try. I expect this is the start of his redemption tour. Also that Morrison wrote all of it. And OF COURSE Messier wrote the love letter at the start. Just to get him back as a coach in the NHL and to hear that reception in Vancouver would be priceless. He and Babcock , two of the worst humans of recent years. Dinos that don't deserve second chances.

[Jack Youd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened on audiobook. One of the best hockey books I’ve read/listened to. He definitely didn’t hold back or shirk from telling stories and gave a lot of insides to so many big moments through his career. As a Rangers fan I loved the chapters on the cup winning year and found it very interesting on his swift exit after lifting the cup. Fantastic read.

[Bradley Proctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book. One of those books that doesn’t have much of a story to it more of just a chronological summary of his life’s events.

Unlike the Brian Burke book that I went into not liking him as a person but gained an appreciation for him after reading his book, I never gained much of an appreciation for iron Mike during the course of this book.

[Tieson Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most controversial coach in hockey history. Great read for those who aren’t familiar with his journey. He had great honesty in reflecting on his hockey journey however I felt like he left lots on the table specifically towards the end of his career in Van/Fla/CGY and the KHL. Overall a great read for a hockey fan!

[Enid Wray]

I'm just not the reader for these kinds of titles... wth very few exceptions... and this was not one of them.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.

DNF

[Lawrence Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iron Mike packed with details

Fantastic read for any fan of pro hockey.

Mikes journey to the NHL and the effort it takes to get there is fantastic.

I would enjoy a separate book about his time in Chicago.

[Dave Hambleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love books about coaching. I devour them at an alarming rate, hoping to learn something of the craft that I can apply to my coaching arsenal. I thought IRON MIKE: MY LIFE BEHIND THE BENCH by Mike Keenan with Scott Morrison would be such a book, especially with that subtitle. It wasn’t.

[Howie · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed the romp thru Keenan's eyes of his coaching career.

[Dave Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

F 33333333³

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy book to read and it didn’t disappoint. No punches pulled. True hockey fans will enjoy this book whether you’re an Iron Mike fan or not.

[Tanner Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book! Really enjoyed the storytelling from the coaches perspective. Not a huge hockey fan but this one still kept me very entertained

[Victor Saville · Rating 3 out of 5]

run-of-the-mill hockey book

page and page of how we won this game. we lost this game.
minimal personal insights family and such.
a couple of interesting antidotes.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating reflection of Iron Mike’s journey around hockey’s coaching, team management & mentorship.

[Maciej Walinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who were hockey fans in the 80s, 90s, and early aughts, Mike Keenan was always a fascinating figure. The man was a serial winner in the first half of his career, culminating in a memorable Cup victory with the Rangers in 1994. He followed that with a mediocre run starting in the mid-90s that saw him become more of a media sideshow than a particularly effective coach and GM.

Many anecdotes about his methods and behaviours surfaced during and after his time coaching, but still, he was never quite mentioned with the same level of disdain as Mike Babcock or Kevin Constantine are now, and he always presented as thoughtful and intelligent during interviews and his media appearances. That was enough to entice me to pick up his book (written with Scott Morrison). Sports, and hockey biographies in particular, aren't usually too deep, and make for quick, entertaining reading (indeed, this book took me under 4 hours cover to cover).

In many respects, Iron Mike is exactly as you would expect it to be. It's a chronological summary of the man's career with some musings and mild insights thrown in along the way. Mike Keenan is not a loquacious man and you won't find anything outwardly revealing. He is not afraid to state his opinion on certainly people, or certain situations, but always does so with a fair amount of dignity and even reservation. I'm sure it was tempting to submarine a few of his adversaries and detractors, but he never does, and I have respect for that.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this book is getting to understand the mindset of the man, as well as his background, and what drove him to be the way he was. He cites his often irrational desire to win, and visceral aversion to losing, but in reading between the lines, it seems to stem from a perfectionism which led to a level of preparedness and expectation that he did not take well to having unmatched. Players who could match it were treated better and, in turn, seemed to have taken to him more than those who could not. Keenan expresses contrition about some of his decisions and actions, though does not dwell on them much, and offers no deeper analysis.

Still, the one thing that does come across well is that he does have a very human side to him, and that despite some of his actions, none were generally born out of vindictiveness or malice. If they were, he did not use this platform to air them which those who harbor such feelings more often than not jump at the chance to do. I come away from this book understanding Mike Keenan the coach a little bit better, and liking the person a little bit more.

Is it a must read? No, but it is entertaining enough to warrant a few hours spent on a rainy evening or slow paced morning. A solid 3.5/5.