A Heartfelt Story About Mike Keenan When He Was Rangers Coach

Prayers for a Mike Keenan medical recovery now are being delivered from The Maven for a very special – and personal – reason.

When I heard that the Rangers 1994 Cup-winning coach was recovering from open heart surgery it immediately reminded me of an event that took place during the summer of 1993 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

My younger son, Simon, then 14 years old, was suffering from a heart disease and required a heart transplant if he was to survive.

He had entered the hospital near the end of June, 1993 after collapsing in a doctor's office along with my wife Shirley at his side. In such cases the wait for a new heart was indefinite so we could only hope and pray.

A goaltender at the Northwood School near Lake Placid, Simon had taken sick while there, but at the time there had been no clear-cut diagnosis as to the severity of his disease.

That came the moment he was examined at Columbia Presbyterian and it told Shirley and I that we had to do everything possible to buoy his spirits.

Since Simon already was a passionate hockey fan, we decided to enlist the hockey community for support. And, as always is the case, the hockey people came through.

One of them was Keenan, head coach of the Blueshirts, and the other was their starry goaltender Mike Richter.

Earlier I had alerted Rangers press agent Barry Watkins about Simon's condition and it was Watkins who had contacted the two Mikes.

Of course neither Shirley nor I had known about Watkins' good works until a Saturday morning which just happened to be a particularly down day for the Fischlers.

Suffice to say that our melancholy was suddenly changed to astonishment when Simon's hospital room door opened and who should walk in but the Rangers' newly-knighted bench boss.

"I'm here to help," Keenan said, and then gave me a hug of encouragement that I still feel as I write this story.

While the coach was about five minutes into chatting with his enthralled patient, the door.

opened again and who should be standing there but Richter, with an encouraging smile on his face.

"One goalie meeting another," he chortled and then gave Simon a warm handshake. Now the big stickhandling schmooze was underway – three hockey guys, with the grateful Maven occasionally joining in with a pithy comment.

For Simon this was just the tonic he needed after a solemn start to the morning. To say the least it was an uplifting scene and – for sure – boosted our spirits.

Unfortunately the new heart did not arrive soon after Richter and Keenan exited the room. In fact the frustrating wait lasted through July and into August.

Other hockey people came and went while time kept running out on our son's life. Then, one afternoon, Mister Ranger – Ron Gilbert – showed up carrying a giant stuffed bear wearing a Rangers uniform.

"Hey, Simon," Rod nearly shouted, "meet Roger Bear. That's his name because that's what Rangers fans thought was my name when I first came to the team."

We had some chuckles after which my pal Rod took on a more serious tone and in many words prayed for a good outcome. It was a religious moment as powerful as the ones the two Mikes previously had delivered.

About two hours after Gilbert departed, we got word that a heart was on its way and that night the transplant took place. It would be a turning point in our lives but particularly for Simon.

That happy chapter was only one of many that The Maven encountered as Hockey People entered and re-entered our lives.

Now 46 years old, Simon and his wife Lilach have three kids. Odel 19, who played hockey but now works full-time. Ariel, 18, plays forward for the Hershey (Junior) Cubs.

The youngest of the stickhandlers, Avigail, is with Simon at Colgate's Summer Hockey Camp today. She finished her first season on defense for the Culver Academy girl's team and already is being scouted by colleges.

That said, we Fischlers are rooting – and praying – for a complete recovery for Mike Keenan who came through when our guy needed a boost.

Now we also root for Avigail to achieve her goal, to some day play for Uncle Sam's women's Olympic team and possibly turn pro as women's hockey grows by leaps and bounds.

And thank you again Mike Keenan and Mike Richter, for their most pleasant surprise 31 years ago at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Along with their 1994 Stanley Cup victory, it will never be forgotten!