As predicted by 'Hockey From Across The Pond' last month, Mike Babcock has been hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who will introduce their new coach at a Thursday press conference. Terms of the contact were not released, but Sportsnet and TSN reported Babcock will get eight years and approximately $50 million. Babcock leaves the Detroit Red Wings, where he coached for 10 seasons, winning the Stanley Cup in 2008 and losing in the Cup Final in 2009. This season, the Red Wings finished third in the Atlantic Division and lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game Eastern Conference First Round series. The Maple Leafs went 30-44-8, finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference and missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season. They fired coach Randy Carlyle on Jan. 6 and named Peter Horachek interim coach. Horachek was fired on April 29. In 12 seasons as coach of the Anaheim Ducks and Red Wings, Babcock is 527-285-119 with 19 ties. The Maple Leafs will have to give the Red Wings a third-round pick in the NHL Draft within the next three years as compensation for hiring Babcock.
Mike Babcock's Career Highlights
1986 - Graduated with a degree in physical education from McGill University, where he played defense and served as captain of the hockey team. He also did some post-graduate work in sports psychology at McGill.
1987-88 - Served as player-coach of the Whitley Warriors of the British Premier League. He had 34 goals and 132 points in 36 games, playing as a defenseman! the Warriors finished two points behind the Murrayfield Racers, out of first place.
1988-91 - Coached at Red Deer College. His team won the Alberta College championship in 1989, and he was named coach of the year.
1991-93 - Coached the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League. His teams went 60-78-6 in two seasons; they lost in the first round of the WHL playoffs in 1992 and didn't qualify in 1993.
1993-94 - Spent one season coaching the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. He led the team to the CIS University Cup and was named CIS coach of the year.
1994-2000 - Coached the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. Babcock was named coach of the year in 1996 and 2000 after leading his team to first place in the Western Division and into the WHL Finals.
1997 - Coached Canada internationally for the first time at the World Junior Championship in Switzerland. Canada won the gold medal, defeating the United States in the championship game.
2000-02 - Moved to the pros when he was named coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League. Cincinnati, the AHL affiliate of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Detroit Red Wings, had a 74-59-20-7 record under Babcock and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of his two seasons.
2002-04 - Was named coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on May 22, 2002. Led Anaheim to the best season in franchise history in 2002-03 (40-27-9-6, 95 points); the Mighty Ducks advanced to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the New Jersey Devils. However, they did not qualify for the playoffs in 2003-04; this is the only time in his pro career that a Babcock-coached team failed to make the postseason.
2004 - Coached Canada at the IIHF World Championship in Prague. Canada went 7-1-1 and defeated Sweden to win the gold medal. Babcock became the first coach to lead Canada to the title at the World Juniors and the World Championship.
2005 - Named coach of the Detroit Red Wings on July 15, 2005.
2008 - Led the Red Wings to the 11th Stanley Cup in franchise history and the fourth since 1997. They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Final.
2009 - Coached the Red Wings to the Western Conference championship and a second straight berth in the Stanley Cup Final, where they were defeated by the Penguins in seven games.
2010 - Led Canada to the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, capped by a 3-2 overtime victory against the United States in the championship game. Babcock became the only coach to join the Triple Gold Club; members have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and a World Championship.
2014 - Coached Canada to the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. His team allowed three goals while going 6-0 and defeating Sweden in the championship game.
2015 - Led the Red Wings to their 24th consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and their 10th in his 10 seasons with Detroit. The Red Wings lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
1987-88 - Served as player-coach of the Whitley Warriors of the British Premier League. He had 34 goals and 132 points in 36 games, playing as a defenseman! the Warriors finished two points behind the Murrayfield Racers, out of first place.
1988-91 - Coached at Red Deer College. His team won the Alberta College championship in 1989, and he was named coach of the year.
1991-93 - Coached the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League. His teams went 60-78-6 in two seasons; they lost in the first round of the WHL playoffs in 1992 and didn't qualify in 1993.
1993-94 - Spent one season coaching the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. He led the team to the CIS University Cup and was named CIS coach of the year.
1994-2000 - Coached the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League. Babcock was named coach of the year in 1996 and 2000 after leading his team to first place in the Western Division and into the WHL Finals.
1997 - Coached Canada internationally for the first time at the World Junior Championship in Switzerland. Canada won the gold medal, defeating the United States in the championship game.
2000-02 - Moved to the pros when he was named coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League. Cincinnati, the AHL affiliate of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Detroit Red Wings, had a 74-59-20-7 record under Babcock and qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in each of his two seasons.
2002-04 - Was named coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on May 22, 2002. Led Anaheim to the best season in franchise history in 2002-03 (40-27-9-6, 95 points); the Mighty Ducks advanced to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the New Jersey Devils. However, they did not qualify for the playoffs in 2003-04; this is the only time in his pro career that a Babcock-coached team failed to make the postseason.
2004 - Coached Canada at the IIHF World Championship in Prague. Canada went 7-1-1 and defeated Sweden to win the gold medal. Babcock became the first coach to lead Canada to the title at the World Juniors and the World Championship.
2005 - Named coach of the Detroit Red Wings on July 15, 2005.
2008 - Led the Red Wings to the 11th Stanley Cup in franchise history and the fourth since 1997. They defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Final.
2009 - Coached the Red Wings to the Western Conference championship and a second straight berth in the Stanley Cup Final, where they were defeated by the Penguins in seven games.
2010 - Led Canada to the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, capped by a 3-2 overtime victory against the United States in the championship game. Babcock became the only coach to join the Triple Gold Club; members have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and a World Championship.
2014 - Coached Canada to the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. His team allowed three goals while going 6-0 and defeating Sweden in the championship game.
2015 - Led the Red Wings to their 24th consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and their 10th in his 10 seasons with Detroit. The Red Wings lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
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