National Post

MIKE BABCOCK

- David Alter, National Post dalter@nationalpo­st.com Twitter. com/DAlter

It was a decision he lost sleep over. Rarely do coaches reach a kind of free agency players enjoy, with a satisfied employer, multiple suitors elsewhere and a chance to command top dollar.

Despite many outward indication­s signalling that Mike Babcock was probably going to stay with the Detroit Red Wings, a team he had coached for 10 seasons, the 52- year- old Saskatchew­an native instead shocked the hockey world and chose a new path. He agreed to an eight- year, $ 50- million contract to become the head coach of the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs.

“What happened was, the night before we had a plan going to bed,” Babcock said. “When the computer went off at 3:32 in the morning, my daughter was finishing her paper and going and printing paper, and then I didn’t sleep again and by morning I had a different plan.” Something changed. The Leafs were waiting for a 7: 30 a. m. call and Babcock’s decision. After a conversati­on with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland where every scenario was discussed, Babcock requested an extension of four hours. The Leafs waited.

At 2:20 p.m. on May 20, the announceme­nt was made public: Babcock would be the 30th coach in Maple Leafs history, armed with a contract of unpreceden­ted length and salary that gave him a clear mandate to make the moribund franchise relevant again. It was a lengthy pursuit. Talk of Mike Babcock’s future began in October 2014. Entering the final year of his contract, no extension was agreed upon. Red Wings public relations staff told reporters there would not be any questions answered about Babcock’s future during the season. This was specifical­ly enforced when the Red Wings visited or hosted the Maple Leafs during the 2014-15 season, a struggling team that would fire its coach, Randy Carlyle, at the beginning of January.

When Detroit was eliminated from the playoffs by Tampa Bay in late April, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan called Red Wings GM Ken Holland to state their intention to pursue to the impending free agent coach.

There wasn’t a lot of negotiatio­n. The Leafs made their offer early and the specifics were agreed upon long before Babcock ultimately agreed to join. Shanahan and assistant general manager Kyle Dubas met with Babcock in Prague where the coach was scouting talent at the world championsh­ip.

It was reported that the Leafs were out of the Babcock sweepstake­s when Shanahan and Dubas returned.

“For some reason when we came back — we weren’t leaking things out, we were quiet — somehow it got out that we were out of it. I didn’t feel we were ever out of it,” Shanahan said. “It was really just allowing Mike to come around to that on his own.”

Babcock cited a new challenge as the main reason for deciding to leave the Red Wings. Family was a large part of the decision. With his kids now grown up, and he and his wife Maureen were about to be empty- nesters, so the idea of living in a vibrant downtown Toronto was added incentive.

It all boiled down to what is known as “The Plan.”

The Leafs sold Babcock on a plan to build from the ground up. Every resource is at his disposal. Despite temptation­s to deviate from the plan, the Leafs have held steady in the first three months of Babcock’s first season. Babcock had a heavy influence in bringing newcomers P. A. Parenteau and Matt Hunwick into the fold.

Gone are the long stretch passes leading to a rushstyle of hockey where teams trade chances. With Babcock came shorter passes, a commitment to cycling the puck and more shots fired toward the opposing net. Despite some promising talent in the minors, Babcock and the Leafs have avoided the temptation to bring them up, sticking with the plan to allow players such as William Nylander, Connor Brown and others to develop their game in the American Hockey League.

Since arriving, Babcock has been the focal point of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Each player has talked about the massive shift in confidence in the dressing room.

Later came the hiring of Lou Lamoriello as general manager by Shanahan. But Babcock is more than just the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is at the centre of The Plan.

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