One Toronto columnist is unhappy with Mike Babcock's new coaching gig
Hockey Canada officially named Mike Babcock as the head coach for its World Cup of Hockey team, an eight-team event which will hold its inaugural tournament next September. The nomination should be an honor for Babcock, but one Toronto columnist doesn't seem to see things that way.
Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star claimed in a Friday column that Babcock should have turned Team Canada down.
McGran's argument certainly makes sense. After all, prospects are always important to a rebuilding organization, and training camp is the best opportunity to evaluate how the prospects are doing and whether they will be best served by playing in the NHL or AHL in the upcoming season.
But Babcock also has two capable minds to take over for him in that department in president Brendan Shanahan and GM Lou Lamoriello. He will still be in Toronto as all tournament games will be played at the Air Canada Centre. The finals of the tournament are on Oct. 1 and the NHL season typically does not begin until the second week of October, so Babcock presumably would have some time with the team after the tournament to make important roster decisions.
Regardless, it looks like Leafs fans and columnists won't have a say in this decision. It's one of the prices a team has to be when it has a world-class coach.
(h/t Toronto Star)
I get why Hockey Canada asked Babcock. He guided two Olympic teams to gold. He has the respect of every Canadian player in the NHL. But surely there are other good coaches. How about giving the nod to Joel Quenneville, a three-time Cup champion with the Blackhawks. (He'll be Babcock's assistant.)
In my books, Babcock will be needed in September at Leafs training camp instead of behind Team Canada's bench. It will be an important one, too important to leave to his assistants. Prospects like Mitch Marner and William Nylander (and dare we say it maybe even Auston Matthews) need to show Babcock what they're about first hand. And he needs to make the calls on them in person.
Babcock owes it to them, owes it to the fans, and owes it to the franchise to be with the Leafs in September, not with Team Canada.
