Mike Babcock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Babcock
Babcock in January 2013
Born	(1963-04-29) April 29, 1963 (age 62) Manitouwadge, Ontario, Canada
Coached for	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Detroit Red Wings Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Canada
Coaching career	1991–2023

Mike Babcock (born April 29, 1963) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and coach. He spent many years as a head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He first coached the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, leading them to the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals.

In 2005, Babcock joined the Detroit Red Wings. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2008. His teams made the Stanley Cup playoffs every year he was there. He set a record for most wins in Red Wings history. In 2015, he moved to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs. He coached them until 2019. During his coaching career from 1991 to 2019, his teams almost always made the playoffs.

Babcock also coached hockey teams for Canada on the world stage. He is the only coach to be part of the Triple Gold Club. This means he won the Stanley Cup, the IIHF World Championships, and an Olympic gold medal as a coach. He led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 2008. He coached Team Canada to gold at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in 2004. He also coached Canada to gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Mike Babcock is the only coach to win six different national or international titles. He also led Canada to gold at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He won the IIHF World Junior Championships in 1997. He also coached the University of Lethbridge to the CIS University Cup in 1994.

Since leaving the Maple Leafs, some former players have shared concerns about his coaching style.

Early Life and Playing Hockey

Mike Babcock playing in the United Kingdom in 1987 as a player-coach for Whitley Warriors.

Babcock was born in Manitouwadge, Ontario. He grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He played for the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1980–81. He also played for the Kelowna Wings in 1982–83.

In between, he played for the University of Saskatchewan. After Kelowna, he went to McGill University to play hockey. In September 1985, Babcock even attended the Vancouver Canucks NHL training camp. He played one exhibition game with the team.

Babcock finished his degree at McGill in 1986. He studied physical education. He also did extra studies in sports psychology. In 146 games for the Redmen, he scored 22 goals and had 85 assists. This gave him 107 points. He was the second-highest-scoring defenseman in McGill history. He was a two-time all-star defenseman. He was also team captain and won the Bobby Bell trophy as team MVP.

After McGill, Babcock moved to the United Kingdom in 1987. He was a player-coach for the Whitley Warriors. His team almost won the league title. In 49 games, he scored 45 goals and had 127 assists.

Coaching Career Highlights

Babcock is one of four players from McGill University to coach an NHL team. He joined famous coaches like Lester Patrick. In 2008, Babcock became the second McGill hockey player to coach a Stanley Cup winner.

Babcock had a very successful coaching career. He coached continuously from 1987 to 2019. From 2002 to 2019, he coached in the NHL. When the Maple Leafs fired him in 2019, he had 700 NHL wins. This placed him 12th all-time in coaching wins.

Coaching Before the NHL (1988–2002)

Red Deer College Success

In 1988, Babcock became head coach at Red Deer College in Alberta. He coached there for three seasons. He won the provincial college championship in 1989. He was also named coach-of-the-year.

Moose Jaw and Lethbridge

Babcock moved to the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1991. He coached the Moose Jaw Warriors for two years. He was fired in 1993 after missing the playoffs. He almost left coaching to work in business. But then, he was offered a job at the University of Lethbridge. He decided to take it.

He coached the Lethbridge Pronghorns, who were struggling. He helped turn their team around. He won the Canada West coach-of-the-year award in 1993–94. He led Lethbridge to their first-ever playoff appearance. They won the national CIS Cup title.

Spokane Chiefs and Cincinnati Ducks

In 1994, Babcock became head coach of the WHL's Spokane Chiefs. He had a strong record with them over six seasons. He was named West Division coach of the year twice. His team reached the playoff finals in 1995–96.

From 2000–01 to 2001–02, Babcock coached the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. He led them to a franchise-high 41 wins. The team made the playoffs in both years.

NHL Coaching Journey (2002–2019)

Anaheim Ducks: First NHL Stop

Babcock became head coach of the NHL's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on May 22, 2002. In his two seasons, he led them to a good regular season record. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, he led the Mighty Ducks to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2003. They lost in seven games to the New Jersey Devils.

Detroit Red Wings: Stanley Cup Glory

Babcock as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings in April 2007.

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Babcock joined the Detroit Red Wings on July 15, 2005. In his first three seasons, he led the Red Wings to many wins. The team won the Presidents' Trophy (best regular season record) in 2005–06 and 2007–08.

In the 2008 playoffs, the Red Wings were favorites. They beat several teams to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. On June 4, 2008, he led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup championship. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in game six of the Finals.

Babcock was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award that season. This award goes to the coach who helps his team the most. In June 2008, he signed a new contract with the Red Wings.

In the 2008–09 season, the Red Wings again made the Stanley Cup Finals. They faced the Penguins again. The Penguins won in seven games. Babcock became the first head coach to lose a Stanley Cup Finals in game seven with two different teams.

On April 8, 2014, Babcock earned his 414th win as Red Wings coach. This broke the team record for most coaching wins. On December 6, 2014, he earned his 500th career win. He was the second-fastest coach in NHL history to reach 500 wins.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A New Challenge

Babcock left the Red Wings and became the new head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 20, 2015. He signed a very large contract, making him the highest-paid coach in NHL history at the time. The Leafs had not made the playoffs often in recent years. Babcock's hiring was seen as a big step to change the team's future.

On October 7, 2015, Babcock was the first NHL coach to use the new coach's challenge rule. He coached his 1,000th NHL game on February 4, 2016. The Maple Leafs finished last that season. This was the first time Babcock missed the playoffs since 2004.

However, this last-place finish helped the Maple Leafs get the first pick in the 2016 draft. They picked the talented player Auston Matthews. The 2016–17 season saw many young stars join the team. These rookies helped the team make the 2017 playoffs. This was a rare jump from last place to a playoff spot. Toronto faced the Washington Capitals in the first round. The Maple Leafs pushed the Capitals to six games. Babcock's coaching was praised for developing young players while the team succeeded.

Expectations for the Maple Leafs grew. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs in both 2018 and 2019 to the Boston Bruins.

On November 20, 2019, the Maple Leafs fired Babcock. This happened after a six-game losing streak. It was the first time Babcock had been fired in his professional coaching career.

College and Retirement (2020–2022)

On July 29, 2020, the University of Vermont announced Babcock would join their hockey team as an unpaid assistant coach. On February 20, 2021, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies announced Babcock would coach their men's team for two seasons. He coached in his hometown, even coaching alongside his son.

Babcock resigned from the Huskies after one season on August 25, 2022. He said he wanted to give assistant coaches more opportunities. The next day, Babcock announced he was retiring from coaching.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2023)

On July 1, 2023, Babcock was named head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. This was his first NHL job since 2019. He signed a two-year contract.

However, in September 2023, concerns about his behavior surfaced. Reports said Babcock had asked players to show him photos on their cellphones. The NHL and NHLPA (players' association) investigated. While initial reports found no wrongdoing, later investigations showed some players were uncomfortable. Babcock announced his resignation on September 17, before the season even started. The team later apologized to their players for hiring him.

International Coaching Success

Babcock has a long history coaching for Hockey Canada. He first coached Canada's junior team in 1997. They won a fifth straight gold medal at the World Junior Championships. Babcock coached Canada's senior team for the first time in 2004. They won a second straight gold medal at the 2004 IIHF World Championships.

On June 24, 2009, Babcock was named head coach of Team Canada for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. His team won the gold medal, beating the United States 3–2 in overtime. With this win, Babcock became the first coach to join the International Ice Hockey Federation's Triple Gold Club. This means he won an Olympic Gold, a World Championship gold, and a Stanley Cup.

On July 22, 2013, Babcock returned as head coach for Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. His team won the gold medal again, beating Sweden 3–0. Babcock became only the second coach to lead one country to gold in two Olympics in a row.

Babcock also coached Canada to victory at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. This made him the first and only coach to win the Stanley Cup, World Cup, World Championship, World Junior Championship, and an Olympic gold medal.

Coaching Style and Player Interactions

Babcock's teams usually focused on keeping control of the puck. They emphasized skill over just being tough. His teams often had fewer penalty minutes than other NHL teams.

Concerns About Coaching Style

Babcock has faced public concerns from some former players. They have spoken about how he treated them during his NHL career. Some players said he was difficult to play for.

For example, Johan Franzén, who played for Babcock in Detroit, said he was a "terrible man." He accused Babcock of being verbally harsh during a game. Other former players have also described his coaching methods as difficult. They said his methods were sometimes personally directed.

Babcock has been criticized for how he treated both experienced and new players. He was accused of not playing players in important games. For example, he didn't play Mike Modano in his 1500th game. He also didn't play Jason Spezza in a game against his old team.

He was also criticized for how he treated Mitch Marner during his first season with the Maple Leafs. Babcock asked Marner to rank his teammates by how hard they worked. Then he shared the list with other team members. After some teammates spoke up, Babcock apologized to Marner.

By the end of his time in Columbus, Babcock's coaching methods and interactions had made him unpopular among some hockey players. Some people felt his "old-school" style of coaching, which involved mind games, was no longer suitable for modern players.

Personal Life

Babcock has Irish family roots. He and his wife, Maureen, have three children. He was born in Manitouwadge, Ontario. He moved around a lot as a child before his family settled in Saskatoon in 1975. He considers Saskatoon his hometown.

Babcock has supported mental health awareness campaigns. In 2017, he joined a campaign called Ahead of the Game. This campaign raises money for youth mental health in sports.

He has received honorary degrees from McGill University and the University of Saskatchewan. In 2018, Babcock became a member of the Order of Hockey in Canada.

Coaching Records

WHL Coaching Record

AHL Coaching Record

NHL Coaching Record

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