Mike Babcock settled the NHL coaching comeback rumors in five words
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock snuffed out any potential comeback rumours as he told Darren Dreger that he was more than happy to stay retired.
Mike Babcock once led the Maple Leafs for nearly five years but hasn't coached in the NHL since 2020 after a falling out with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With several vacancies around the NHL, he put to bed any potential comeback rumours - probably giving fans a ton of relief too.
Mike Babcock enjoying the retired life as Edmonton coaching vacancy rumours swirl
Babcock told Darren Dreger personally that with all the coaching openings around the league, he feels completely comfortable sitting at home:
I asked Babcock this morning about the idea of coaching again and the speculation around the Oilers. He said, 'Dregs, I'm retired. Loving it'.
Babcock last coached during the 2019-2020 season with the Maple Leafs, who replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. He was then hired by the Blue Jackets that summer but promptly resigned after some controversy.
The former coach was revealed to have asked to see personal photos and share them with the coach as to make sure there was no wrongdoings. What was seen as a blatant display of privacy invasion led to Babcock walking away and being replaced by Pascal Vincent.
This coincides with the fact he asked Mitch Marner to list his teammates from best to worst, and with how tense he made the locker room; he had to go.
At one time he was seen as the pinnacle of head coaching, when he led the Detroit Red Wings to 458-223-105 record which included three Western Conference Championships as well as a Stanley Cup in 2008.
Mike Babcock is in a better spot than the Maple Leafs and the irony is impossible to ignore
While the Maple Leafs fans may be really, really grateful that Babcock is staying out of the limelight for now considering they have their own coaching vacancy it's a bit ironic. Babcock was the guy known to stabilize and lead a team into dynastic fortunes, and was meant to do so in Toronto but never found the success.
But now as his old team searches for that stability with a long, extensive, and frankly expensive coaching quest, Babcock is the one who can sit there and have the last laugh. He doesn't have to deal with the pressure a new coach is going to feel, nor does he ever have to deal with a vicious Toronto media that will absolutely tear him to shreds.
He's 63 years old, and while that isn't necessarily that old for being a head coach; it's still an exhausting position to be in. Babcock noted in 2022 that 60 years old was his retirement cutoff so it's clear that he's happy to sit this one out:
We always said we were going to retire at 60 and I'm 59, so basically that's what it is. Believe me, we've talked to lots of people about opportunities and enjoyed those conversations. In the end, we feel this is best for us and best for our family and so that's what we're doing.
Say what you will about Babcock's coaching style but he's family-oriented and wants to enjoy the rest of his life without all the rigours of travel and the stress of lineup management, keeping in shape and making sure that he leads a competitor once again.
It's too much to ask from a guy who should probably just stay away from the bench. From the sounds of it, he's thinking the exact same thing.
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