Solution:

The squared distance between two points of the array is $a^2 + b^2,$ where $a$ and $b$ are the coordinate differences, each in $\{0, 1, 2, 3\}$ and not both zero. The possible values are $1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 18$ — only $9$ values — so a growing path has at most $10$ points, and a path with $10$ points must use all nine distances in increasing order. Label its points $P_1, \ldots, P_{10}$ so that $P_1 P_2 = 1$ and $P_9 P_{10} = \sqrt{18}.$

Since $\sqrt{18}$ is realized only by opposite corners, there are $4$ ordered choices of $(P_{10}, P_9).$ Next, $P_8 P_9 = \sqrt{13}$ leaves $2$ choices for $P_8,$ the two neighbors of $P_{10},$ symmetric across the main diagonal. From there the distances $\sqrt{10}, 3, \sqrt{8}, \sqrt{5}, 2, \sqrt{2}$ force $P_7, P_6, \ldots, P_2$ uniquely (for $P_7$ the alternative corner choice fails because the point needed next for $P_6$ would coincide with $P_9$ or $P_{10}$). Finally $P_1$ must be at distance $1$ from $P_2,$ and $3$ of its neighbors are unused. One of the resulting paths is shown below.

Hence $m = 10$ and $r = 4 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 = 24,$ so $mr = 240.$