{allcanada} Mike Babcock chased money, but he's well-prepared for scrutiny with Maple Leafs

 

When it comes to employment, most people have a salary in mind at which point the money becomes too much to turn down.

That's the simplest explanation for why Mike Babcock left a coaching job he loved with the Detroit Red Wings to become coach of a Toronto Maple Leafs team with myriad roster problems.

Several media outlets are reporting that Babcock, 52, will receive $50 million over eight seasons, with much of the deal front-loaded.

That $6.25 million average salary is more than three times what Babcock ($2 million) earned this season in Detroit, and it is more than twice the salary of Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, who was the highest paid coach at $2.75 million per season.

Undoubtedly, Babcock, a proud Canadian, is intrigued by becoming the coach of one the NHL's most storied franchises and the challenge of helping team president Brendan Shanahan build a team that could win the team's first Stanley Cup since 1967.

He chose the Maple Leafs over the Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks.

If Babcock was going to leave Detroit, the Sabres seemed to be the most attractive destination because next month the team likely will be selecting Jack Eichel with the second overall pick in the NHL draft. Eichel is considered the best American center prospect since Mike Modano.

But Babcock chose to take a job where the scrutiny of his performance will be relentless and unforgiving. In addition, the Sabres have a stable of top young players, including Sam Reinhart, son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen and Evander Kane. And owner Terry Pegula is a billionaire, sports-crazed owner who recently bought the Buffalo Bills. He was reportedly willing to pay Babcock $5 million a year.

One of the many reasons Shanahan wanted Babcock is that he will have no difficulty handling the pressure of coaching in Toronto. He handles the media as well as, or better than, any coach in the NHL. He seems to enjoy the pressure, shown by the job he did in leading Team Canada to gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Could a coach face more pressure than Babcock in 2010 when Canada was favored to win the gold medal on their soil in Vancouver?

Babcock is also a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs because he seems to do his best work when his team has the most problems. The Maple Leafs ranked 27th in goals-against per game last season, and they were one of the worst possession teams in hockey. Their Corsi rating, which measures puck possession, was 46.4%, 27th in the league.

One of Babcock's best seasons in Detroit came in 2013-14 when, because of injuries, he essentially had a junior varsity team playing in a varsity tournament. At various times, half of the Red Wings were made up of call-ups from the minor leagues. Yet Babcock found a way to push that team into the playoffs.

He has a reputation as one of the league's most prepared coaches. He gets to work early, and he stays late.

Players will tell you that he is uncomfortably demanding of them. He lets players know how he feels about their performance level. He holds players accountable. He has a doghouse, and it's easy to get in it, and sometimes it's hard to get out.

That's probably the main reason why the Maple Leafs wanted him. The Maple Leafs had a 30-44-8 record, 27th in the NHL, and in the second half of the season the players looked unmotivated and uninterested.

That won't happen on Babcock's watch. He gets results. He always has.

The Red Wings offered Babcock a significant raise, reportedly around $4 million a year over five years, but they will not look at his departure as a major crisis for the franchise.

They gave their highly regarded Grand Rapids (Mich.) American Hockey League coach Jeff Blashill a raise last summer to prevent him from seeking other NHL jobs. He's the favorite to replace Babcock. The Red Wings wouldn't give other teams permission to talk to Blashill about their head coaching jobs because they knew it was possible Babcock would leave.

Blashill is similar to Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper. Blashill is an innovative coach with strong communication skills. The Red Wings believe he has the potential to be another Babcock, the kind of coach who always finds a way to get results.

The Red Wings' view is that 13 years ago they had to replace the greatest coach in NHL history, Scotty Bowman, because he retired. They ended up landing another exceptional coach in Mike Babcock.

Now they have to replace Babcock, and they feel comfortable they will hire someone who can continue their streak of 24 consecutive seasons in the playoffs.

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