Mike Keenan’s Kunlun Red Star has been the surprise package of the Eastern Conference so far, vying for top spot in the fledgling league table.
The new-look roster picked up back-to-back 2-0 victories in Shanghai last week, and 19-year-old defenseman Pavel Vorobei lifted the lid on life under the legendary coach.
“It’s all very new for me: the training process, the way the team is put together and the general organization of the whole process,… he told KHL.ru.
“I think that’s why they call him ‘Iron’. It’s not about discipline – lots of coaches can be hard to their players. It’s because nothing is left to chance. He personally takes charge of absolutely everything: what is in the locker room, what hangs on the walls, even who is sitting where. It’s everything, right down to where the rubbish bins should be. Everybody on the team, including the cleaners, has to know exactly what he’s doing.''
This is Keenan's 2nd stint as head coach in the KHL, previously he worked with Metallurg Magnitagorsk becoming the first ever coach to have both - Stanley and Gagarin cups with his name on it. However, this is a first-time thing for him in the KHL - he is not only the coach but also General Manager and a part of Kunlun Red Star's technical committee and is responsible for player development. Such a workload for one person? This might be another reason why they call him ''Iron''.