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Underrated Habs Players: Mike Keane

Originally posted on The Sick Podcast | By Nick Lariviere | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 4:16 PM ET

On September 25th, 1985, the Montreal Canadiens signed an undrafted free agent named Mike Keane in hopes that he could one day be something within the Habs organization. Little did they know, Keane would become one of the most reliable players for a little over half a decade with the Canadiens.

Keane got his start in the NHL with the Canadiens during the 1988-89 season. He immediately made an impact as a rookie, putting up a respectable 16 goals and 35 points in 69 games. With the Habs, he played a solid 2-way game alongside one of the best defensive forwards in the game, Guy Carbonneau, for much of his time with the Canadiens.

Keane mainly scored around 35-40 points while playing the role of a playmaking third liner. However, his 1992-93 season was by far his best in the NHL. Playing on a line with Stephane Lebeau and Gilbert Dionne for much of the season, the trio formed a solid 2nd line where all three players had career years with the Habs. Keane was seen as the playmaker of the line while bringing a particularly strong defensive game, earning him 9th place in Selke Trophy voting that year.

That season, Keane scored 15 goals and a career-high 45 assists for 60 points in 77 games with the Habs. Meanwhile, Lebeau put up a career-high 31 goals and 80 points in 71 games. Dionne played more of the glue guy on their line, but his 20 goals and 48 points still managed to be a huge part in making the trio click. As good as Keane was during the regular season in the 1992-93 season, he was even better come playoff time.

Keane played in 19 of the Habs’ 20 playoff games, posting a team-leading 13 assists during that playoff run that helped the Canadiens win their 24th and final Stanley Cup to date. While we associate the 1993 Stanley Cup win with players like Patrick Roy, Vincent Damphousse, Kirk Muller, Eric Desjardins and captain Guy Carbonneau, without guys like Keane or John Leclair who played key roles in the shadows, there may not have been a Stanley Cup that year.

Keane would be awarded the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the team’s unsung hero that season, rewarding him for his underrated playmaking and defensive abilities.

While he never put up the same offensive numbers again with the Habs, Keane continued to be a reliable two-way player in the Habs’ middle-six. He was even eventually named captain near the end of the 1994-95 season after team captain Kirk Muller was traded to the New York Islanders at the Trade Deadline.

However, when he was named captain, Keane drew controversy with the media in Montreal when he said he didn’t believe in needing to learn French, which could explain why he didn’t last long in Montreal afterwards. Keane was traded in the infamous trade alongside superstar goaltender Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for forwards Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko, as well as netminder Jocelyn Thibault.

During his time in Montreal, Keane played parts of 8 seasons where he suited up for 506 games and put up 90 goals, 179 assists and 269 points. Keane will always be remembered for his hard-working defensive style and his underrated playmaking abilities.

What were your thoughts of Mike Keane as a player with the Habs?

This article first appeared on The Sick Podcast and was syndicated with permission.

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