COLUMBUS, OH – The Columbus Blue Jackets officially announced the appointment of McGill University graduate
Mike Babcock as the ninth head coach in franchise history. He agreed to a two-year contract through the 2024-25 National Hockey League season.
A two-time all-star defenceman for the McGill men's hockey team from 1983 to 1987, Babcock was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2018. He brings an extensive NHL coaching background, including stints in Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto.
During his undergraduate years at McGill, he served as co-captain and shared team MVP honours in 1986-87. Babcock graduated in 1986 with a degree in education and received an honorary doctorate of laws from the University in 2013.
One of the most decorated coaches in hockey history, among his many achievements are two Olympic gold medals, one Stanley Cup title and the World Cup of Hockey championship. The man with the Midas touch actually has seven championship rings in his collection, including a national title with the University of Lethbridge in 1994, the IIHF world junior gold in 1997 and the IIHF world championship in 2004.
"Our goal at the outset of this process was to find a coach to give our players the best chance to succeed through structure, discipline and experience as we continue to build a team that can compete for a Stanley Cup championship," said Jarmo Kekalainen, the team's general manager, in a press release. "After a very thorough and lengthy process we are pleased to welcome Mike Babcock as the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets."
WATCH MIKE BABCOCK'S INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE
Babcock, 60, has compiled a 700-418-183 record in 1,301 regular season games over 17 NHL seasons from 2002 to 2019. He ranks 12th on the NHL's all-time wins list and is 16th in games coached, while his teams registered 100 or more points and a .600 or better winning percentage 10 times in 14 seasons from 2005 to 2019. Among the coaches in the top 15 on the NHL's all-time wins list, Babcock's .608 winning percentage ranks third behind Scotty Bowman (.657) and Joel Quenneville (.612).
"We are committed to building a Stanley Cup champion and doing it the right way through hard work, pride, professionalism and respect," said John Davidson, club president of hockey operations. "We had extensive conversations internally, with numerous people around our league, with Mike during the interview process, and with players in our leadership group, and we believe we have found the right coach in Mike Babcock."
Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., and raised in Saskatoon, Sask., Babcock led his teams into the Stanley Cup playoffs on 14 occasions, compiling a 90-74 record and winning the 2008 Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He also led the Ducks to the 2003 final and Red Wings to the 2009 final.
One of the questions he was asked in the press conference announcing his appointment was about what he learned from his exit with the Leafs.
"My daughter says to me: 'Dad, it's not what you say. It's your tone,' he responded. "The message sent and the message received often are not the same... The ability to communicate and send the right message that you want to send. And to do it in a way that's totally respectful. To me is what the last three-and-a-half years have been about."
Babcock began his NHL coaching career with Anaheim in 2002-03 after spending the previous two seasons as head coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, the club's American Hockey League affiliate. He posted a 69-62-33 record (.521) in 164 games in two seasons with Anaheim. He led the club to a Western Conference championship and Stanley Cup final berth in his first season behind the bench with a 40-27-15 record and a 15-6 mark in the postseason.
He joined the Red Wings in 2005 and is the franchise's all-time winningest coach with a 458-223-105 record (.649) in 786 games over 10 seasons from 2005 to 2015. During his tenure, Detroit won five division titles and qualified for the postseason every year. He led the club to a pair Presidents' Trophies after the Red Wings topped the NHL with regular season records of 58-16-8 in 2005-06 and 54-21-7 in 2007-08. Detroit played in back-to-back Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009 and won the franchise's 11th title in 2008. That year, he was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's most outstanding coach.
In 2015, Babcock was named head coach of the Maple Leafs, who had qualified for the postseason just once in the previous 10 years. He went on to lead the club to a 173-133-45 record (.557) in 351 games from 2015 to 2019, including three-straight appearances in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the first back-to-back 100-point seasons in franchise history.
Babcock is the only head coach to be a member of the Triple Gold Club, which includes coaches and players who have won a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold and world championship gold. In addition, he is one of two coaches to lead their teams to back-to-back Olympic gold medals. The other is Viktor Tikhonov, who led the Soviet Union to the top of the podium in 1984 and 1988.
During his playing days, Babcock played defence for the Saskatoon Blades and Kelowna Wings in the Western Hockey League from 1980 to 1983 and at the CIAU level with McGill (1983-1987).
He began his coaching career as a player-coach for the Whitley Warriors in the United Kingdom in 1987-88 and a year later served as the head coach at Red Deer College in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. He went on to lead the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors (1991-93) and Spokane Chiefs (1994-2000). He also guided the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns to a CIAU (now known as U SPORTS) national championship. Over the past three seasons, he served as a senior advisor at the University of Vermont in 2020-21 and the head coach at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021-22.
Babcock and his wife, Maureen, are the parents of a son, Michael III, and daughters, Alexandra and Taylor.
"I'd like to thank my family for their support as well as the ownership group led by the McConnell family, Mike Priest, JD and Jarmo for giving me the opportunity to come here," said Babcock. "This is a terrific city with strong ownership, a great management team, talented players, world-class facilities and a dedicated, passionate fan base, and I couldn't be more excited to be the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets."
Babcock is one of seven former McGill hockey players to coach in the NHL, along with the legendary Lester Patrick (NY Rangers), George Burnett (Edmonton, Anaheim), Guy Boucher (Tampa, Ottawa), Jamie Kompon (St. Louis, Los Angeles, Chicago, Winnipeg, Florida), Martin Raymond (Tampa, Ottawa) and Jon Elkin (goalie coach in Calgary and Phoenix).
Three other McGill grads – who didn't play varsity hockey for the University – have also coached in the NHL, namely Doug Carpenter (New Jersey, Toronto), Bryan Murray (Washington, Detroit, Florida, Anaheim, Ottawa) and current University of Vermont bench boss Todd Woodcroft, who was an assistant coach with Winnipeg.
McGILL GRADS WHO COACHED IN THE NHL:
Lester Patrick – Head Coach, NY Rangers (1926-1939)
*Bryan Murray – Head Coach, Washington, Detroit, Florida, Anaheim, Ottawa (1981-2008)
*Doug Carpenter – Head Coach, New Jersey, Toronto (1984-1991)
George Burnett – Head Coach, Edmonton 1994-95) and Asst. Coach, Anaheim (1998-2000)
Jamie Kompon – Asst. Coach, St Louis (1996-2006), Los Angeles (2006-2012), Chicago (2012-2014), Winnipeg (2016-2022) and Florida (2022-present)
Jonathan Elkin – Goaltender Coach, Calgary (1999-2002) and Arizona (2014-2017)
Mike Babcock – Head Coach, Anaheim (2002-2005), Detroit (2005-2015), Toronto (2015-2019) and Columbus (2023-present)
Martin Raymond – Asst. Coach, Tampa (2010-2013) and Ottawa (2016-2019)
Guy Boucher – Head Coach, Tampa (2010-2013) and Ottawa (2016-2019)
*Todd Woodcroft – Asst. Coach, Winnipeg (2017-2020)
*McGill graduates but not associated with the school's varsity hockey team
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
