ESPN.com: NHL - Users' response to Mike Keenan

On Thursday the Bruins confirmed coach Mike Keenan's tenure with Boston is over after less than six months. The team will not pick up the two-year option on his contract. Keenan finished the season 33-26-7-8. We asked you if this was the right move for the future of the Bruins organization. Here is what you had to say:

Give the man a fair chance!
I think that the Bruins should not have fired Pat Burns after the first 8 games of the season. Keenan should still be the head coach because they only gave him one year to prove himself. I think that management has the problems, for example Bill Parcels and Bob Craft. They hire a coach to motivate the team and want the coaches to change their tactics so the players are happy. If the players were unhappy with Keenan, then why didn't management try to get rid of him before. They only gave Keenan one year to prove himself, which is not fair. They should have gave him the extension!

Kevin Breen
Norwood, Mass.

Unhappy Bruin
Bad move! The GM just wants a puppet as a coach. This is why Boston will never be more then middle of the road!

Anonymous

Keenan fit in well
I'm not pleased. Keenan was exactly what the Bruins needed and still need. A young team responds to a coach like Keenan, who won't take anything but 100 percent. Just as they begin to come around O'Connell does this, is he afraid of the power that a Keenan seems to generate? I hope in a year I won't be missing Keenan, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I will!

Bob Labonte
Shrewsbury, Mass.

We need more help, than just a coach
Keenan should have never been here! The Bruins should have kept Pat Burns. I am very happy with this move and I think Peter Laviolette will make a great coach as long as the front office affords him the opportunity to coach. If they tie his hands as far as players and point of view, they will be setting him up to fail! If the front office doesn't have a change in their mind set, I don't care if they have me coach or Scott Bowman...they will continue to lose!

Tom Westgate
Providence, R.I.

Be A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!
It was clear the players disliked the way Keenan treated them all year. For sure, Keenan helped them improving their offensive skills. But I think it's more the change of the team style of play (no more trap) than Keenan's way of coaching that improves a team. This team has to be an aggressive and offensive one to be successful. Mister Laviolette, welcome aboard!

Sebastien LaBarre
Quebec

Takes em' back a step
Big mistake. Keenan had a winning record with the club. He had four players with career years and he almost had a playoff year, which included injuries that would have sank any team. They should have given him another year to work with the team. This will set the Bruins back instead of moving them forward.

Bernard Horowitz
New York, N.J.

We do need a new coach
My take on this is very simple: Pat Burns, a great coach, was given a few weeks before he got fired. Obviously the executives thought this team was good enough to make it. If Mike Keenan can't do it either, then they have no reason to keep him.

Mike Clapp
Chelmsford, Mass.

One more move towards change
I feel that the firing of Mike Keenan is a little quick, but none the less, is a move that needed to be done. The Bruins need to make a great deal of changes in their franchise, hopefully this move is one that is necessary for the improvement of the team.

Tom Dolphin
Manchester, N.H.

Head back to the booth
Mike should go back to broadcasting, his coaching style no longer works in the NHL. Pat Burns was a better coach and there are better coaches out there and available at a cheaper price then Keenan. Good move on the part of Boston.

Marty Miller
Tampa, Fla.

Need more time to help out team
I do not think they gave Keenan the proper chance to prove himself. He did not even get one full season to work with the team. I believe they should give him one full season to see what he can do. That way he will have the opportunity to work during the off-season with the players and start from scratch rather than in a hole left by another coach, which was the situation this year.

Adam
Manchester, N.H.

Keenan's style no help to team
Keenan's coaching style definitely had an effect on his departure. Sure, he almost squeaked the Bruins into the playoffs with a 33-26-7-8 record, but not all players respond to a coach that berates you if you mess up. Case in point: Bobby Knight.

Dan Hynds
Derry, N.H.

We welcome you Peter
I think that letting Mike Keenan go was the right move. Peter Laviolette is a tremendous coach and motivator. He has an innate ability to get the players to play hard at all times. I think Peter's time has come. Keenan appeared to get to little out of his players until it was too late.

Scott Gardner
Coventry, R.I.

The Bruins were a contender
I think that the Bruins are really stupid for doing this to the experienced coach. He has taken them out of the trash and made them into a playoff contender and should be rewarded for that. Just because they didn't make the playoffs doesn't mean you should fire a coach who has made a bad team into a contending team.