Former Montreal Canadiens player Mike Keane was released by the AHL’s Manitoba Moose today and is expected to announce his retirement soon. He is 43.

Keane stature didn’t prevent him from becoming a tough, gritty player who managed to get his name on the Stanley Cup three times.

Keane played for the Habs for eight seasons and was a member of the 1993 Canadiens’ cup-winning team. He became the Habs’ 23rd captain in 1995. Shortly after he was subjected to vicious and unfounded attacks by the French media when he declared that he had no intention of learning French.

On December 6, 1995, General Manager Rejean Houle completed “Le Trade” sending Keane, the Canadiens’ captain at the time, along with Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky, and Andrei Kovalenko.

Keane won a Cup with the Avalanche and his third with the Dallas Stars. He finished his career playing for his hometown Winnipeg team, the Moose, signing with them in 2005-2006.

Here’s an article written by Gary Lawless of the Winnipeg Free Press on Keane and the Moose.

Life after Keane begins

~Excerpt~

Hockey is not as good a game today as it was yesterday because Mike Keane no longer plays it.

Keane and the Manitoba Moose have elected to part ways, and the man who has been captain of the Moose for the past five years and a three-time Stanley Cup champion will officially announce his retirement sometime down the road.

Continue reading Life after Keane begins