Captain Keenan ready to bring a championship back to Saskatchewan
Nov 23, 2023It won’t be easy or quick, but Ryan Keenan is ready for the challenge as the third captain in Saskatchewan Rush history.
When he signed his two-year extension this summer, the goal was simply laid out, lead the Saskatchewan Rush back to the playoffs.
Keenan, who’s father Derek gave him the call this summer, made sure the tone was clear before bestowing the captaincy honour on his son.
“It came about really quickly. I wanted to be that guy and I want to be here long term, which is why I signed my extension here,” said Ryan. “It’s so special to be here and play for him. I’m so thankful and couldn’t ask for anything more than to be a part of this organization.”
The offseason brought on drastic changes in the lineup, leaving only three players from the Rush’s last NLL championship in 2018.
“All of a sudden, it seemed to happen so quickly where guys get older, move on and then we’re in a phase to transition to a younger team, so it seems like the right time for me to step up into the role,” commented Keenan. “I was very fortunate to be drafted high, then come on a team that was already championship caliber and winning right away. With that, there were so many veteran guys who were great leaders for me to learn from.”
From the time he first started watching lacrosse, Ryan was hooked on the game. The journey has taken him all over North America, but watching his dad coach in Toronto, Anaheim, Portland and Edmonton meant he got a first-hand look at some of the best leaders in the game, like Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson and Brodie Merrill.
“Obviously, I had dreams of being there one day. I was lucky to be on the floor and learn from some of those guys who took the time to talk to me, throw the ball and it definitely set something in my mind that I wanted to be here and be a captain someday in my career.”
The focus can’t always be on lacrosse, so the influence of following the sports world’s great leaders like Tim Duncan and Tom Brady have helped shape how Ryan Keenan plans to lead.
“I’m not a rah-rah guy. I like to lead by example on the floor with my intensity. As a leader you aspire to be like the greats and that’s what I’m trying to take on this year.”
While it’s easy to say a main focus is consistency and building a new culture, Keenan has been the definition of that for the past few seasons.
Along with the likes of Robert Church and Mike Messenger, you’ll rarely ever see them take a game off in the National Lacrosse League.
“I’m fortunate this year that we have a lot of guys that are young and hungry because they haven’t won before. It’s great to have guy with championship experience that have been there before, but when you get older sometimes you can take the foot off the gas. With this group there’s a lot of extremely driven guys that want to win.”
With an extension signed and the challenge accepted, it’s now time for Keenan to be the next captain and cement his legacy on the Saskatchewan Rush.
“Another championship would be special. It’s our ultimate goal and as you get older you realize you only have so many opportunities to win another one. I definitely want it bad and I know the rest of our group does as well.”