The Detroit Red Wings made the decision to move on from goaltender Petr Mrazek at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline. And after a short stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, he's emerged as the starting goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes.
And they're sure glad that they have him.
After helping lead Carolina to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Mrazek has once again backstopped the Hurricanes to the playoffs in 2020 – and is already making his mark known.
He flashed the leather to absolutely rob New York Rangers forward Brett Howden in the first period of their Eastern Conference Qualifying Round Game 2 today:
Howden was understandably stunned at his goal being taken away!
BONUS CONTENT: Former Red Wings coach Mike Babcock compared to Phil Jackson by new employer
Former Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has landed a new gig after eight months off after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs last November.
He's taken a job as a volunteer advisor for the University of Vermont hockey program. And let's just say they're full of praise for him, especially head coach Todd Woodcroft, who compared him to two of the greatest coaches in history in their respective sports:
“He’s a Hall of Fame coach, he’s the equivalent of a Bill Belichick, the equivalent of a Phil Jackson. This is one of the top coaching minds who transcends any sport,” he said.
“At the end of day all I really care about is making these players better and giving them every chance of being a professional player,” he continued. “I talk to Mike about two, three times a week and all we talk about is UVM hockey. This guy is all in. He talks about the team as a we.”
Of course, nobody can knock the resume of Babcock, who served as Red Wings head coach from 2005 to 2015 before signing a record-breaking deal with Toronto later that summer. He's 8th all time in NHL wins for a head coach, a Stanley Cup winner, and a two-time gold medal winner as head coach of Team Canada in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.
