Manitoba Moose

Is this the year Mike Keane finally decides he's had enough?

When the locker room is cleared out for the summer, the question is asked like clock work, but the good news for Manitoba hockey fans is the answer never seems to change.

Despite turning 42 during the Calder Cup playoffs, the Manitoba Moose captain has no plans to hang up his blades.

"Obviously, I'd like to play again," Keane said yesterday as the Moose cleaned up their lockers and held exit meetings.

Things never change for me. I still enjoy coming to the rink every day. It's still a great game. Retirement hasn't entered my mind, so it's not an issue that way."

That Keane is back with the Moose for a fifth season isn't a sure thing, but it's pretty darn close.

Still, Keane said he had to discuss the situation with his family and see how his summer training goes before making a final decision.

"I feel good physically and mentally," said Keane, who has the support of wife Tammy, 12-year-old son Jackson and nine-year-old daughter Olivia. "It's just a matter of how the training goes. In talking to a lot of older players, for some reason your training becomes a lot harder and it just hits you. If training becomes work, then maybe it's time but as of right now, we'll see what happens.

"It isn't a one person decision. I just have to make sure it's the right decision for the family."

During the course of a career that includes three Stanley Cup rings, Keane has also suffered a lot of heartbreaking defeats.

Losing the Calder Cup final to the Hershey Bears ranks right up there and will be part of the motivation in Keane's return.

WELCOMED BACK

"With Dallas in 2000, we lost to New Jersey and it was similar, but this has a lot more meaning because I'm from Winnipeg and it would have been fantastic for the city to have a championship hockey team for the first time in a lot of years," said Keane. "Deep down, this is the one that hurts the most."

Moose general manager Craig Heisinger said Keane will be welcomed back with open arms.

"It's always going to be up to Mike Keane," said Heisinger. "With his passion to play, as long as he wants to play and can come make the team, there will be a spot for him."

Moose teammate and road roommate Nolan Baumgartner is expecting Keane to be back, though he joked the captain might have to change positions.

"He keeps saying that he might come back as a defenceman next year, so maybe he might be my partner," Baumgartner cracked. "He's going to have to learn to play the left side though."