The Toronto Maple Leafs will be handing Mike Babcock a record amount of money to coach the team, after the club’s official Twitter account announced the move Wednesday afternoon.
Babcock, 52, leaves the Detroit Red Wings to become the 30th head coach in Leafs history. After Toronto were seemingly out of the sweepstakes for the coach’s signature following reports he would return to Detroit or join the Buffalo Sabres Tuesday, a shocking turn of events saw Toronto make a successful last ditch pitch.
The Stanley Cup and Olympic goal-medal winning coach will be paid a reported incredible $50 million over the next eight years, an NHL high of $6.25 million per season.
Following the firings of 18 staff members, including general manager Dave Nonis and interim head coach Peter Horachek a day after the team’s final regular season game, President Brendan Shanahan announced the team would go under a rebuild process after another lackluster year saw the team miss out on the playoffs yet again.
Babcock is the only coach to have ever won the Triple Gold: winning the Olympics (2010, 2014), World Championships (2004), and the Stanley Cup (2008).
In 12 seasons with the Red Wings and the Anaheim Ducks, the Canadian posted a 527-285-119 record. It has been suggested that he may very well be more sought after than any player free agent this summer, having received interest from the Sabres, Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, and the option of staying put in Detroit.
The Leafs will formally announce Babcock in a press conference that will be held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Thursday morning at 11 A.M.