Toronto Maple Leafs Ex-Coach Acknowledges Wrong Doing
By Tomas Morgan
Mike Babcock’s tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs was a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, marked by both success and controversy.
As the new head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the ex Toronto Maple Leafs coach’s return to the NHL brings a mix of anticipation and curiosity, promising to add a new layer of intrigue to the league that it has been missing during his nearly four year hiatus.
When Babcock was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in May 2015, it marked a turning point for the franchise.
His reputation as a successful coach preceded him, having led the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup and Canada to an Olympic Gold medal.
Toronto Maple Leafs Ex-Coach Acknowledges Wrong Doing
His coaching acumen and leadership were expected to elevate the Toronto Maple Leafs to new heights, but never did. In fact, the Babcock Era is widely seen as a disappointment, and he was replaced by Sheldon Keefe way sooner than anyone expected.
Babcock was fired after a horrible start to the 2019 season, and the Leafs have been one of the NHL’s best teams ever since.
When he was fired by the team in 2019 he left a trail of winless playoff rounds and controversial coaching strategies.
One of which targeted current Leafs all-star winger Mitch Marner.
After asking Marner to make a list of hardest working to least hardest-working players on the team, Babcock revealed the list to many of Marner’s teammates. One being veteran centreman, Tyler Bozak, who Marner ranked amongst the least hardest-working players.
Babcock once again addressed his time coaching in Toronto on his latest interview with The FAN Morning Show on Sportsnet 590.
“Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No. Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely.”
Babcock acknowledging what he did was wrong, is a step in the right direction considering he is known for being a stubborn coach, especially during his time in Toronto.
He also went as far as to say that his coaching style needs some changing.
“I think it’s important that you own any mistake you’ve made and you try to get better.”
These comments have many thinking that we could see a new Mike Babcock behind the bench for the Columbus Blue Jackets this coming season.
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We’ll have to wait and see. Frankly, it is not surprising that he’s back, but with so many other options available to them, it’s kind of a strange choice for the Blue Jackets.