Keller returns to ice at Allan Cup with Redwings
Ryan Keller admits he isn’t quite in game shape.
While serving as an assistant coach with the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades, Keller was more likely to break a sweat behind the bench than on the ice, during team practice sessions.
You would think that getting onto the ice on a regular basis would be beneficial to somebody still playing on the senior AAA circuit, yet Keller disagrees.
“It’s funny, but people look at it like that, saying, ‘You’re on the ice every day.’ Yeah, I am, but I more or less just move pucks around and talk (to players),” the 34-year-old former Ottawa Senators prospect says with a laugh.
Keller is in Rosetown this week with the host Redwings looking for home-ice advantage during the Allan Cup senior AAA hockey championship.
The tournament continues with playoff round games Thursday and Friday. It will wrap Saturday night with the championship final.
It’s the oldest hockey championship around. Keller is happy to rekindle his competitive spirit.
“I’m a competitive person. That’s the biggest thing,” says Keller. “I go out and skate with my buddies in rec hockey still, but when you get out for a game where there’s contact and the juices get going, it’s still enjoyable.”
Given the heavy time commitment to the Blades this season and numerous conflicts, Keller played sparingly with the Redwings this season. He got in only a handful of games.
Keller says senior hockey is “quite different” than what he was used to in the professional ranks.
“You’re handcuffed a little bit, just on how it’s prioritized,” offers Keller. “When you’re a professional, it’s obviously No. 1 and that’s all you do. Now, everybody’s got a day job and families. Hockey might rank No. 3.
“The structure of the game is not as much as you’d see at the pro level, just because you don’t have everybody all the time and players aren’t together for practice. ”
And you never have everybody in ideal shape, either.
“A lot of times, you know where you should get to but you can’t get there,” Keller says with a chuckle. “But, at the end of the day, it’s still pretty good hockey. For the most part, on most teams, you’ve got a lot of guys who have played pro or at a high level.”
Keller played 11 seasons in the pro ranks. Most of that was spent in Europe, where he played in the Swiss A League and SM-liiga’s Blues. He also spent time in the NHL’s Senators organization and played six games at the NHL level during the 2009-10 season.
He finally called it quits two years ago after his final season in Switzerland, where he scored 18 goals and added 12 assists for 30 points in 47 games.
A number of factors weighed in. “No. 1, injuries,” explained Keller. “My knees, they’re finally starting to feel decent again but I’ve torn MCLs on each of them twice, so four MCL tears and those things start to add up.”
The other was family.
“My kids are getting older and you can’t drag them around forever,” says Keller, who has three young children (Noa, Farrah and Cassius) ages 7, 5 and not quite 2.
“There’s a lot of pressure of raising kids and stuff gets put on my wife, so that was important, for all of us to be home.”
He was happy to land the Blades job. “Especially the last few years when I got to be coached by Marc Crawford, and watching him and seeing how he coached and stuff, I always knew I wanted to coach.”