 |  |
Former Lethbridge coach, McGill star Babcock to coach Olympic team
MONTREAL - Mike Babcock was officially named head coach of
Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team, Thursday.
"This is an exciting time for our country. To have the opportunity
to be an Olympian is something I've thought about lots as a kid
growing up," said Babcock, a graduate of McGill University who
played defence for the McGill Redmen from 1983 to 1987. "I'm very
excited and humbled. As much as the Stanley Cup is exciting, any
time you have a chance to play for your country, it's a whole new
level of exciting."
He will become the third member of the McGill hockey program to
graduate to a coaching position with an Olympic team. Others to do
so include former Redmen mentor Ken Tyler, who coached Austria at
the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. The other is Peter Smith, head coach
of the McGill Martlets, who will won gold as an assistant coach
with the Canadian women's team at the 2006 Turin Games and will
serve as an assistant at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
"I was looking for someone who will encourage the team to play the
way I envision the Canadian national team to play," said Steve
Yzerman, executive director of the Canadian men's team. "We have a
vision of how the Olympic team will play, and I'm certain Mike is
the guy to take the reins."
Yzerman also announced on Thursday that Babcock will be supported
by associate coaches Jacques Lemaire (formerly with the Minnesota
Wild), Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres) and Ken Hitchcock (Columbus Blue
Jackets).
"Some of these men up here with me, I've idolized for a long time,"
said Babcock of his support staff, making Jacques Lemaire a case in
point. "Look at Jacques, how many cups is that?"
Babcock, 46, will be leading a Canadian national team for the third
time. He guided Canada to gold medals at both the 1997 IIHF world
junior championship in Switzerland and the 2004 IIHF world
championship in the Czech Republic. He is the only head coach to
lead Canada to gold medals at those two events and has been to
three Stanley Cup finals as a coach, winning the Cup with Detroit
in 2008.
"The vision of how our team and the way we think Canadian hockey
should be played ? is a 200-foot game where guys play both ways,
with total pressure on offence and on defence," said Babcock, who
has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the Red
Wings, leading that team to four consecutive 50-win seasons. He
also coached the Anaheim Ducks from 2002-05, reaching the Stanley
Cup final in 2003.
Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., and raised in Saskatoon, Sask., he
played two seasons in the WHL followed by four years at McGill
(1983 to 1987), where he served as team captain and was twice named
as team MVP while earning a bachelor's degree in physical education
(1986).
Since his coaching career began in 1988, Babcock has compiled an
825-565-127 overall record in 1,517 games, including a 282-139-71
mark in six National Hockey League seasons.
"One of the most exciting times for me as a Canadian, a coach in
the National Hockey League is when we go into Vancouver. When they
sing the national anthem in Vancouver and the fans join in, that's
a special thing when you are standing on the bench as a coach and
they get going in that building," said Babcock.
"I can't even imagine how it's going to be the first game in there
(during the Olympics) and how exciting it's going to be."
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
