Babcock brushes off critics, media reporting

Mike Babcock’s resurfacing tour continues.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs coach, hired recently on a voluntary basis to coach the men’s hockey team at the University of Saskatchewan, was asked in a recent interview by Postmedia’s Darren Zary whether we’ll see a kindler, gentler Babcock in his return to coaching.

“What’s interesting is you say that because that’s your perception, right?” Babcock said.

“I think what you’re trying to do is you’re trying to get everyone to maximize their potential.

“I’ve been real fortunate. I’ve coached college, I’ve coached junior, I coached in the American League, I’ve coached in the NHL. I’ve coached different kinds of Olympic teams, World Cup teams and I’ve had a lot of success. In order to have that, you have to have good relationships with players. People can say what they want, but that’s the facts.”

After he was fired by the Leafs in November 2019, it was revealed by the Toronto Sun that Babcock once had Mitch Marner, then a rookie, make a ranking of the Leafs based on work ethic. Babcock later apologized to Marner.

Johan Franzen, who was coached by Babcock in Detroit, told Swedish media that Babcock was “the worst person I have ever met” and called him a bully.

Ex-wing Chris Chelios confirmed some of Babcock’s treatment of Franzen, and another former Babcock player, Mike Commodore, continues to rip Babcock on social media.

Does Babcock see his role at Saskatchewan as an opportunity to get redemption? What does he say to his critics?

“What I would say is the media’s always going to say what they’re going to say,” Babcock said. “There’s nothing I can do about that. There’s always going to be some players on your team that are going to be unhappy, as much as you try not to have that happen, that’s just the way it is.”