Two teams have reached to Babcock to take on coaching job!

When the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Mike Babcock two weeks ago, his reputation was still intact. 

Then, players started coming out with story of psychological abuse. It started when it was revealed that he forced a 19-year-old Mitch Marner to make a list of all the players on the team, singling out the players who he viewed had the worst work ethic. Many ended up denouncing Babcock, condemning the former head coach for putting Marner through such an ordeal and even accused Babs of trying to put his players against one another.

Then, there was the Johan Franzen story that came out thanks to former Detroit Red Wings Chris Chelios. He spoke of the abuse in an interview with the Spittin Chiclets podcast. Chelios said Babcock “blatantly verbally assaulted” Franzen during a playoff game, which led to Franzen suffering a “nervous breakdown.”

However, despite all the bad things that can be said about the former Leafs head coach, it seems like it hasn’t stop other teams from inquiring about his availability to take on a club at the moment. 

That’s right. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has revealed in his latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportnet that two teams have reached out to Babcock in order to get him to coach. 

“Maybe the most impossible question to answer is what Mike Babcock’s future will be. When he was fired, word was that at least two teams privately reached out to gauge his interest in coaching right away — only to be told that he preferred to take some time. I heard from people in Russia that there was KHL interest, either as a coach or a consultant. There were rumours he’d be offered a World Junior role (not as head coach, but in an advisory position) and/or the head job for the World Championships. Then came the avalanche, and now that’s all in doubt.”

While Friedman does not mention which teams they are, he does make it clear that if Babcock wants to coach again in the NHL, he will need to evolve. 

Maybe that’s why he needs time to consider a return to the bench.