Keenan Sings Blues Says St. Louis Fans Too Harsh, Too Impatient

In the process of trying to build a Stanley Cup contender, Mike Keenan has so alienated St. Louis Blues fans that he’s afraid they’re trying to run him out of town.

When the spotlight fell on the Blues’ coach and general manager during pregame ceremonies for the Blues’ 5-3 victory over Edmonton in their home opener Tuesday night, boos rained down. The man with the imperious, chin-high glare who has replaced all but three players on the roster since arriving in July 1994 was visibly upset after the game.

He said he never imagined the fallout from all the dealing, capped by the trade of fan favorites Brendan Shanahan and Curtis Joseph this summer.

“I don’t know what the fans expect,” Keenan said. “I suppose they may have somebody in mind that could do a better job for them. It’s very disheartening and very disappointing. I think it’s very unfair.”

Brett Hull, one of the three holdovers, feels the same way.

“We had some popular players and they’re gone now, but I think we have to get a grasp on the fact that they aren’t here anymore and we’ve got some great players that they can embrace,” Hull said. “He’s a great leader and we have great players.

“Just give us a chance.”

Keenan said he’s just doing what he’s done in the rest of his NHL stops, and his track record - one Stanley Cup and three other finalists - shows he knows what he’s doing. When he was in Chicago, he said Blackhawks fans understood why dealing Denis Savard for Chris Chelios would help the franchise.

“There was a little bit of a reaction when I traded Savard, but not like this,” Keenan said.

Keenan blamed the media for his problems. He said he’s been unfairly portrayed as a heartless soul with no consideration for tradition or fan attachment, particularly after dealing Shanahan to Hartford in July for young defenseman Chris Pronger.

“They are obviousy getting feedback from you people,” Keenan said at his postgame news briefing. “I think they base most of their opinion on what’s written or said in here.

“There are a lot of value judgments made about hockey players and support of fan favorites.”

Rebuilding the Blues has been more difficult than Keenan anticipated. Last year, they tied for third overall in the NHL but got eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Vancouver, so he went back to the drawing board.

Hull, Murray Baron and Basil McRae are the only players left from the pre-Keenan era. In the offseason, he brought in free agents Dale Hawerchuk, Grant Fuhr, Brian Noonan, and traded for Pronger and Shayne Corson.

Keenan said he had to trade Shanahan, who makes $3.5 million, after Blues ownership told him to cut the payroll by $3 million. He cut ties with Joseph, who was seeking $2.5 million a season.

“The toughest trade I had to make was Brendan Shanahan, but he makes $3.5 million and we needed more hockey players with a reduced budget,” Keenan said. “That’s the only way I could figure it out.

He believes this year’s team is

much better than last year’s and defended the newcomers after the home opener.

“Chris Pronger, tonight, in my opinion, dominated the game,” Keenan said. “Shayne Corson was a very dominating player, so was Hawerchuk, as was Noonan. Courtnall was very important to us.

“I don’t think you’re giving any of us a chance.”