Mike Babcock Gets Brutally Honest About His Time in Toronto
PUBLICATION
Tyler Ball
August 3, 2023 (11:35)
Mike Babcock's tenure in Toronto came to a controversial end. He was accused of berating and bullying players in the locker room along with the team's underwhelming performance on the ice.
Babcock Speak On His Time In Toronto
Babcock recently spoke to the media about his time in Toronto after being named head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets this summer.
«Do I like how I was talked about after I left? No,» Babcock told The FAN Morning Show on Thursday. «Do I think I did anything wrong? Absolutely.»
This is our first opportunity to hear Babcock take responsibility for how things ended in Toronto. While it is not the outright admission and apology for his actions that many were hoping for it is a start.
Babcock Talks About What He Learned From His Time Off
Until recently being hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets Babcock had been out of hockey since his tenure in Toronto ended in 2019. He touched on what he learned in his time away from the NHL.
«You're trying to be a better coach, trying to be a better person,» he said. «To me, the last three-and-a-half years have been a gift from God. And what I mean by that is, (for) my wife and I and my family, we found so much joy in doing the things you love to do. And when you're in the rat race like I was for a long, long time, I think sometimes you're just spinning so fast. You enjoy that time to breathe a little bit and then you can get outside your body and have a look at who you are and say, ‘Hey, these are things I've got to improve.»
It will be interesting to see if Babcock can take what he learned from his time off to make himself a better coach in Columbus. He will have plenty of talent to work with including recent third overall pick Adam Fantilli.
POLL |
AOÛT 3 | 185 ANSWERS Mike Babcock Gets Brutally Honest About His Time in Toronto Will the Columbus Blue Jackets make the playoffs under Mike Babcock? |
Yes | 102 | 55.1 % |
No | 83 | 44.9 % |
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