Former Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has officially landed new employment, though it’s not behind an NHL bench.
After NBC announced that analyst Mike Milbury would not be returning to the network after 14 years, Babcock was announced as one of several new hires that include the likes of former players Ryan Callahan and Dominic Moore.
One of the most successful head coaches of the modern NHL era, Babcock guided the upstart Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to within one game of the 2003 Stanley Cup championship. Following his hiring by the Red Wings in 2005, he proceeded to win a total of 458 games in the Motor City that included four straight 50-win seasons, the 2008 Stanley Cup falling one win short of a repeat in 2009.
He chose to move on from Detroit in 2015 after 10 years, accepting a contract from the Toronto Maple Leafs that made him the highest-paid bench boss in the sport.
However, after his dismissal by Toronto in November of 2019, his career came under scrutiny after multiple reports from former (and current) players painted Babcock in a less-than-flattering light regarding his treatment of them and coaching style.
One particular scathing testimonial came from former Red Wings forward Johan Franzen, who called Babcock the “worst person I’ve ever met”.
Why? His mis-treatment of players is legend despite his statement that he always loved his players. He had a strange way of showing it.
Replace one unusual commentator with another. Great. Will turn the sound down when Babcock speaks.