Mike Babcock to be announced as next Head Coach of Eastern Conference team

With coaching vacancies around the league this offseason, it was inevitable that one team would dip into the well of currently unemployed high-profile candidates and bring them back into the fold as a head coach once again.

Moments ago, NHL insider Darren Dreger broke the news that the Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Mike Babcock as the team's head coach.


Babcock is one of the few high-profile candidates who's been out of the league since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. Dreger reports that the delay in Babcock being hired, with an official announcement, was influenced by his existing contract with the Maple Leafs, which is set to expire this month.


Babcock gained a reputation for one of the league's toughest and winningest coaches for his tenure with the Datsyuk-era Red Wings, which culminated in a Stanley Cup victory in 2008. In Toronto, Babcock's reputation changed, as the team failed to perform to expectations, along with allegations of questionable psychological tactics levied by Mitch Marner.

In Columbus, Babcock will take the helm of a team expecting to come out of a rebuild and begin contending in a few seasons. Stocked full of prospects, cap space, the free-agency signing of Johnny Gaudreau, and now the hiring of Babcock, the team looks poised to take steps towards playoff contention now. Perhaps in Columbus, Babcock can lead the young group to success and erase the negative reputation he earned from his time in Toronto.