AN UNEASY FEELING overtakes Kyle Keenan just five hours prior to every game for the Edmonton Blizzard. He sits at his locker and looks around to the other players. He puts on his Blizzard cap, hiding his eyes, and puts in his earphones to listen to alternative music. He grabs his stick and the puck he scored his first goal with and leaves the locker room.
He finds a wall, specific in Rexall Place, but today in Seattle just about any wall will do. He asks the trainer for tape, and places X's in the spaces that would be the holes of a goaltender. He moves around, and starts mimicking the moments of a game, firing shots at the marks he placed on the wall. With every bounce back, he settles it and works into another position. He uses this to cope with his nervous energy, thinking of how his season develops and the insane expectations he continues to place on himself and his team. He works on finding his spots, on reaching for passes and dragging it into a snap. He works on making it spin, roll, and slide in order to change his motions. He works on finding ways to get the one thing he truly wants. He works to gain control.
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THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE he tends to drive himself toward gaining control in every possible realm -- control the team, control his schedule, control his life, even control the weather. Control is the key to happiness, in his mind. Control helps him avoid regrets on the ice or in his home. Control is what permits him to focus solely on the simplest things, the things that really matter to him.
In his short six-year career, Keenan has managed to earn 172 points in his first 300 games, including a career high in goals the past two seasons with 15 and 16 respectively. He's become a master of the spotlight, even managing to win the Anton Razov Trophy as the Playoff MVP. Only two other Edmonton Blizzard forwards have been able to accomplish this feat -- Joshua Botelho and Laraque Obama.
He remained in control even when his atmosphere began swerving around, displacing him from Manhattan to Edmonton and his best friend Jordan Nugent-Hall to New England. The man referred to as Doctor Manhattan refused to dwell on the subject, and quickly found his niche within the Edmonton locker room. His mother, Tracy Keenan, says she found out about the potential for a trade over the internet. When she pressed Kyle to talk about it, he simply deflected the subject into happier matters.
Rather than focus on the potential negatives of the situation -- a new city, new people, and a lack of control over the offensive structure -- he quickly channeled his energy on following into the same process he comfortably followed throughout his career. During the season, he has a set plan to the minute of how to spend off-days and keeps his coaches on a tight leash over the practice set-ups. Any changes to the system are not welcomed, ever. This is why he still uses the same puck he scored his first goal with, why he walks around in a cap from his draft year, why he spends time before each game shooting at X's on the wall.
The routine is so predictable that he's comparable to Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, reliving the same moments over and over. "He's such a great character actor," says Jakub Aittokallio. "The best in the game, he just switches it on and never breaks."
Except no one notices, he breaks character all the time. All the control that he exerts over his playing career and over the plays he makes. All the detail in his warm-up, all the preparation that goes into one game. It all allows him, within an arena filled with 17,000 fans, to finally be free.
"This is a difficult game to compete in," says Keenan. "If you can simplify things, make it easier on yourself in any way, it takes the weight off. The consistency of doing something over and over, it keeps things light. It keeps things normal, comfortable."
IN SEATTLE, KEENAN will call up to the front offices to acquire extra ice time just four hours before the puck is dropped. He'll call on Jakub Aittokallio, just as he does in Edmonton, to help him prepare on the ice using the same routine as always, like a pitcher working out in bullpen sessions. Aittokallio can rattle off the routine like a flight attendant giving pre-flight safety instructions. "We start with a stand-up style, he fires three shots five-hole. Then to butterfly, and he targets five-hole again. Then he gives me free reign on choosing which corner will be open, just a half inch. Three shots to each corner, then going to the six- and seven-holes. He goes wide right, targets short-side for four, far side for two. Switches sides. Then goes into breakaway and shootout, going forehand on three and backhand on three. Then back to my choice, giving just a half inch opening."
Twenty-six shots in total, the same as his jersey number.
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KEENAN'S RELIANCE UPON himself, the basis for his desire for control, came early in his life. At just 10 years old, his parents divorced, and his father left for the West Coast. Living alone with his mother in Chicago, he would surprise her by having his homework done before she even came home from work. His chores always done quickly and neatly before she even had to ask. Then he'd go outside to play with his friends, always wanting to play baseball or hockey, the two sports where he felt the most at ease and the most in control.
"All his anxiety probably stems from back then," says Tracy. "He felt insecure, like anything could happen, and started seeking stability. He started striving for more."
In his freshman year of high school, Kyle stopped Katie Upton in the hallway during the five-minutes provided between classes -- a particularly finite risk -- and asked her to go out with him. She said yes, and he left. They would spend their first dates around the Upton family dinner table doing homework together. Sometimes Katie could get Kyle to take a break and watch television for a few minutes, but Kyle was never one to deviate from the set plan. He would help her with math, and she would help him with art or dance. Suddenly, Kyle was entrenched into a large family.
"He'd come into my house, and it would be an entire community to him," says Katie looking back on it now. "It was always people coming and going, and it was probably really good for him to have that outlet of freedom."
It was a community that the only child sought throughout the early parts of his life, when he felt the loneliest and insecure. It was what he sought when he decided he would seek control. Then he found another outlet, or two. In his senior year of high school, he became a superstar on the diamond for Libertyville High School as a pitcher. He threw a ferocious off-speed slider to counteract a fastball in the high-80s and managed a near perfect 11-2 record with a 1.36 ERA.
When he was drafted in the second round of the MLB Draft, by the Chicago Cubs no less, he had a decision to make. At this point, he left his home of Chicago behind for Prince George after being selected in the 8th round of the then-NWJHL Entry Draft. Many considered it a mistake at the time, but the heart follows it's own path and you must march to the beat of your own drum.
He stayed in contact with his friends from Chicago, a small group of six individuals from his days in t-ball. The people who love him just for who he is, not people who care whether he scored a hat trick or missed the poke check. He also left with a reinforced sense of self, backed by a faith that most other stat-heads would balk at if explained to them. The faith isn't a normal faith, though. It's the faith in himself, the faith in his ability to always make a difference, to always regain control.
"I'm not a vocal person," says Keenan. "I'm not like other people, but I use this platform the same as the loudmouths who preach their way. I believe I can help anyone with what I do, the exposure I get helps me give them exposure and helps me to give them the level of aide they need."
When Kyle and Katie married just before the trade to Edmonton, he began sharing the same passion as Katie for helping vulnerable children in the African countries. Throughout the past few offseasons, he has joined Katie in travelling to build schools, homes, and wells. He's not satisfied simply writing a check, he needs to have control over having his vision come true.
THREE HOURS BEFORE the puck drops, Keenan will walk through the locker room in his full gear and head toward the trainer's office. If he's relaxed and locked in, he'll lay down on the table and take a nap. If he's not comfortable, if a reporter's question got into his head, if he isn't completely prepared, he knows he's in for a long night.
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KEENAN IS A target for the pranksters of the Edmonton Blizzard in their locker room. He's a part of the Blizzard community, playing games when requested and making comments to help the newer players along. However, Belial and Teemu Nurmi routinely finding ways to mess with the clean spirit.
"He's such an easy target sometimes," says Aittokallio. "He doesn't really fire back. If you mess with Reinhart, he's going to jump on you. If you mess with Smith, he's going to bring out some skeletons you thought were buried really deep. But with Keenan, he doesn't really do anything bad. He'll fire back with something that's mostly made up, just light-hearted fun."
Keenan tends not to mind the simple chirps, the stuff about him and JNH that he simply fires back about Nurmi and Aittokallio. He just focuses on the game, the things he has full control over. He focuses on how to make a play.
This night in Seattle, he make another play that just shows his control over his opponent. He drives in on a two-on-one with Lucas Smith, holding the puck along the left side and looking to see what's available. He stutter-steps, and the defender slides by with another flying past him on the backcheck. He makes the play and gets the Blizzard on the board.
Following the game, Kyle meets with Katie and their group of friends. The Blizzard had been struggling up until now, and Keenan has put it on himself to try and make things better. His work in the offices have helped produce a trade for Matthew Buchesner, getting the conversation started before Cole Reinhart took over to finish the deal. Now the trade is still in debate, whether it was a good deal or a bad deal will rely on how Buchesner and the Blizzard can play in the stretch run.
Kyle is sullen over this. He's worried about his team, and wondering about the difficulties facing them when they finally reach the playoffs. He's worried about his first time losing as an assistant general manager. To soften the blow it's taking on their friend, Trevor Cambridge sent a master text saying 'wow, you sure got ripped.' Kyle even laughed at the text himself.
Keenan knows it's an uphill climb, but in a few short months, he expects to be lifting the cup again. No team has ever accomplished winning three straight Challenge Cups, but this team isn't like any other team. They've already done what no other team could and won three in four years, including one over Doctor Manhattan when he was with the Rage.
SEVENTY-FIVE MINUTES before the puck drops, Keenan will meet with Cole Reinhart, Gabriel Fortescue, Lucas Smith, and the video manager. He'll have already done his own scouting on Dustin Rose and the Seattle defense. He'll have looked at how they held up against Kari Barkov or Nike Kickz, players who are similar to Keenan himself. He'll have looked at the tapes of the Blizzard's previous games with the Riot and determine exactly how to attack them. Reinhart and Smith know that at this point, there's no need for pep talks or information. Keenan knows what he needs to do and he's going to do it.
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KEENAN LIKES the idea of control, the sense that he dictates the outcome of his life, no matter which obstacle or 200-plus pound defenseman stand in his way.
Cole Reinhart was lucky enough to play with great players like Elias Armia, and he sees similarities between one of the greatest scorers in league history and the Blizzard's current star. "They're both the type to take everything on their shoulders," says Reinhart. "They both have that feeling that no matter the challenge, they can always make it happen. Keenan just always believes he can do it, with a one-timer, with a snap shot, with a wrist shot. He can beat the goalie any time, he can beat the defense any time."
Despite the typical style to place emphasis on watching tape and developing better off of that, Keenan has never been much for watching tape of his own games. "I hate seeing myself on film," says Keenan. "I'm always too hard on myself, making things so much worse."
Instead, Keenan simply places his faith into his process to keep things steady, and watches players who are similar to him in order to learn what to do against certain teams. He knows he will never mess up something that he has ingrained in his mind.
Keenan knows that he will always be in control.
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KEENAN WILL exit the locker room alongside his teammates, still focused on just doing his job and making sure everyone else does theirs. He'll go out and stand alongside the benches, talking with coach about pregame strategies and explaining to Smith where he wants to set up. He'll line up along the blue line for the national anthem.
The packed house will watch and wait as some of the greatest players in the SHL take to the ice again. They'll cheer, they'll jeer, and they'll find themselves in the end fulfilled with a passion for hockey that drives the very soul of the fans.
Then Keenan will enter the circle. He'll drop his stick, the puck will drop, and once again the process starts over again.</div>
Quote:[b]Word Count: 2465 words. This was just following a formula from another feature that I read, made it a little bit easier but still took so damn long. lol. So let me know what you think. Thanks everyone. Also, who's next to be written about?[/b]
An old man's dream ended. A young man's vision of the future opened wide. Young men have visions, old men have dreams. But the place for old men to dream is beside the fire.
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