SUNRISE, Fla., May 26 (UPI) -- Longtime friends Mike Keenan and Jacques Martin were reunited Wednesday when they were named general manager and coach of the NHL's Florida Panthers.
Keenan, 54, who was fired as the team's coach last fall by General Manager Rick Dudley, replaces Dudley, who was fired Monday.
Martin, 51, who was coach of the Ottawa Senators for 8 1/2 years until he was fired after they were eliminated in the playoffs, replaces John Torchetti, who had been interim Panthers coach.
Keenan and Martin played together at St. Lawrence University 30 years ago and, from 1988 to 1990, Keenan was coach and GM of the Chicago Blackhawks and Martin was an assistant.
The Florida GM job is the fourth for Keenan, who also had the position with St. Louis and Vancouver in addition to Chicago. He also has coached seven NHL teams.
Martin's teams at Ottawa made the playoffs in each of his years as coach but the Senators never made it to the Stanley Cup finals.
