He may be the smallest Coug on the ice, but he is not easily forgotten. Whether it’s laying hits, blocking shots, backchecking or just bringing vibes on the bench, senior defenseman Collin Keenan will be dearly missed on the Cougar squad next season.
Otherwise known as “Mr. C”, the 5-foot-5 senior joined the Cougs back in 2023.
“I played in Tri-Cities before coming here,” Keenan said. “I wanted to continue my hockey career and see where I could go. WSU was just kind of my next step.”
Despite playing in 23 games his first year, the defenseman only notched one point on the season. Year two had him quintuple that production with five points through 22 games. He took a step back in his senior year, only playing 17 games and grabbing just two points total.
While he may not have played the most this year, he still admits that leaving the Cougs is easier said than done.
“It’s kind of hard,” he said. “It’s tough leaving a good group of guys like this… we’re just enjoying the moment.”
Keenan was unable to make many of the road trips for WSU this season, meaning most of his memories were made on home ice in Moscow.
“Playing at home. I love the crowd that we get here,” he said. “Especially when it’s big and everyone’s hyping us up. It’s just great, I love it.”
With a lifetime full of hockey, Keenan has played for a number of teams. However, nothing quite compares to the Cougs.
“This has just been my absolute favorite team,” he said. “No team I have ever played on can compare to this. Great group of guys, great coach, best coach I’ve ever had. Hands down.”
What has kept that group great, in large part, is the young class of freshmen who bolstered both the defense and offense all year.
“They’ve brought a lot of competitive edge to this team. Especially this season,” Keenan said. “I felt like after we’ve lost a few of our seniors that were just really big for us the past two years, having those guys although they’re just rookies, they add a huge amount of competition to the team.”
After he crosses the graduation stage, Keenan intends to relax before the real work begins.
“Might take a break,” he said. “Just figure out, career-wise, where I’m heading. Trying to get into nursing school. It’s just a big grind.”
Keenan put his heart and soul into every shift he got with the Cougs. With the dance finally over, there was only one way for him to describe it.
“Extraordinary,” he said.
