Columbus Blue Jackets make it official: Mike Babcock's the new coach
It’s official.
He who must not be named now formally and finally bears the title of Blue Jackets head coach nearly a full month after reports surfaced that Mike Babcock was hired to replace Brad Larsen. The decision was announced Saturday, a few hours before the NHL's window for free agency swung open.
"This was a lengthy process," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. "We wanted to do our due diligence and wanted to do our work to make sure that we get the best coach available for our team, even though I’ve known Mike on a personal level since the late ‘90s, when he was growing up coaching the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs. ... we’re convinced we got the best coach for the job."
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Babcock, 60, agreed to a two-contract worth $4 million per year and couldn’t finalize it with a signature until his prior contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expired Friday. Now, it’s time for a coach who sits 12th all-time in wins (700-418-164 and 19 ties) to restart his NHL career after a dubious exit from his previous job in November 2019.
Couple #CBJ things I’ve been told:
— The Jackets are prepared to spend what it takes for a new coach. Number going around is $4 million/per, but team source says there’s no set number.
— Pascal Vincent is likely a candidate for one or more additional NHL coaching vacancies.— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) May 23, 2023
Babcock was fired by the Maple Leafs three-plus years into an eight-year, $50 million contract signed after he left his longest coaching stop with the Detroit Red Wings. It didn’t take long for unsavory anecdotes about his coaching style and personality to emerge from former players in Toronto and Detroit.
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Babcock quickly faded from the NHL spotlight under bullying accusations and didn’t re-emerge until being named head coach of the University of Saskatchewan in May 2021 — a role that was supposed to last two years. Babcock resigned after one season and announced his retirement after bringing his son, Michael, onto the bench at the school as an assistant.
The younger Babcock stayed before accepting a developmental internship role with the Ottawa Senators this past season before joining the St. Louis Blues this summer as a skills coach. The elder Babcock, a Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings and a two-time Olympic gold medal winner for Canada, caught the itch to coach in the NHL again after helping his son analyze games for the Senators.
"It’s been 3½ years, and to be honest with you, the last 3½ years have been like a gift from god," Babcock said. "It’s been so much fun. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, being around my family and my kids are older. I’m enjoying that and getting a chance to coach college hockey. I wouldn’t be here today if my son hadn’t gone to Ottawa at the end of the season and started breaking down all the games ... talking to him every day about what they were doing. Next thing you know, you kind of get excited about hockey and teams started calling."
The Blue Jackets were one of those teams and "Babs" is now their bench boss.
According to president of hockey operations John Davidson, Babcock arrives pre-approved by former Blue Jackets coaches Ken Hitchcock and Dave King. Hitchcock, who was recently voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, reached out to Davidson to suggest Babcock and King, the first coach in franchise history and Babcock's former college coach, did the same
"These are quality people, real quality people," Davidson said. "This is a very important hire for us as an organization, from our ownership group to the city itself. For us, this means something. This, we believe, is a very good hire. ... the resume just sits right there and stares at you. We’ve hired a great coach and we’re a lot healthier than we were at the end of the season. We’re going to be better, and for me, this is the most excited I’ve been in a very long time with the Blue Jackets.”
Here’s a breakdown of Babcock’s hiring:
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Mike Babcock has new perspective on communicating with players
Following his removal in Toronto, some of Babcock’s former players began talking publicly about his “bullying” of forward Johan Franzen in Detroit and manipulation of Mitch Marner in Toronto – asking the rookie to rank his teammates’ work habits and then telling former Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman about his ranking.
Babcock was asked if players now require different coaching tactics and whether he could adapt to the required changes. After acting as an advisor for the University of Vermont’s hockey team and coaching one season at the University of Saskatchewan, the veteran coach said he’s gained a new perspective.
“I don’t know if I can articulate the differences,” Babcock said. “I just know they’re different. I’m real fortunate. My kids are 30, 28 and 26. I’ve been around my last couple opportunities with college kids, and it’s different, for sure. What I do know is, when you have 23 different guys on your team, you need 23 different ways to approach them. You need a communication plan with each one, a development plan with each one, you need a mental health plan with each one to have success. I couldn’t have said what I just said to you now 10 years ago, because I didn’t know that.”
Working at the college level was eye-opening.
“When you go to a university setting, they have all these experts in all these fields, right there,” Babcock said. “They help you get better. I had some good relationships with people there (in Saskatchewan) and they teach you a lot about the way you communicate. I think it’s important that you continue to grow."
Mike Babcock will instill a predictable defense for Columbus Blue Jackets
Babcock has guided teams to the Stanley Cup Final three times, hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Red Wings, and has coached Canadian national teams to gold medal glory an astounding five times – including Winter Olympics competitions in Vancouver (2010) and Sochi (2014).
He also guided Canada to gold medals at the world junior championship (1997), world championship (2004) and World Cup of Hockey championship (2017).
That level of success doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s forged with stringent requirements of players to meet certain standards and the adoption of strong defensive play that’s rooted in relentless checking. Getting all five skaters on board with the same defensive system is a key component in helping goaltenders play their best.
That should be music to the ears of Elvis Merzlikins, Daniil Tarasov and all hoping to see them turn a liability for the Blue Jackets back into a team strength.
“If the team is organized defensively and the goalie knows where the shots are coming from, he can be there and be square,” Babcock said. “When it's all over the place, it’s way harder for the goaltender. In saying all that, the goaltender’s got to do his part too. So, our job is to help Elvis be Elvis. That means putting in the work in the off-season, feeling great about himself coming to camp, being as healthy as he can and putting in the work on the ice.”
Merzlikins also needs to help himself this summer, which he vowed to do after the season’s final game.
“The best way to be a good teammate is to do it right, and that's how you get the guys to play extra hard in front of you,” Babcock said. “When you’re a goalie and you do that, good things happen for you.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets officially name Mike Babcock head coach
