MONTREAL -- Mike Babcock was officially named head coach of Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team, Thursday.
"This is an exciting time for our country. To have the opportunity to be an Olympian is something I've thought about lots as a kid growing up," said Babcock, a graduate of McGill University who played defence for the McGill Redmen from 1983 to 1987. "I'm very excited and humbled. As much as the Stanley Cup is exciting, any time you have a chance to play for your country, it's a whole new level of exciting."
He will become the third member of the McGill hockey program to graduate to a coaching position with an Olympic team. Others to do so include former Redmen mentor Ken Tyler, who coached Austria at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. The other is Peter Smith, head coach of the McGill Martlets, who will won gold as an assistant coach with the Canadian women's team at the 2006 Turin Games and will serve as an assistant at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
"I was looking for someone who will encourage the team to play the way I envision the Canadian national team to play," said Steve Yzerman, executive director of the Canadian men's team. "We have a vision of how the Olympic team will play, and I'm certain Mike is the guy to take the reins."
Yzerman also announced on Thursday that Babcock will be supported by associate coaches Jacques Lemaire (formerly with the Minnesota Wild), Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres) and Ken Hitchcock (Columbus Blue Jackets).
"Some of these men up here with me, I've idolized for a long time," said Babcock of his support staff, making Jacques Lemaire a case in point. "Look at Jacques, how many cups is that?"
Babcock, 46, will be leading a Canadian national team for the third time. He guided Canada to gold medals at both the 1997 IIHF world junior championship in Switzerland and the 2004 IIHF world championship in the Czech Republic. He is the only head coach to lead Canada to gold medals at those two events and has been to three Stanley Cup finals as a coach, winning the Cup with Detroit in 2008.
"The vision of how our team and the way we think Canadian hockey should be played … is a 200-foot game where guys play both ways, with total pressure on offence and on defence," said Babcock, who has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the Red Wings, leading that team to four consecutive 50-win seasons. He also coached the Anaheim Ducks from 2002-05, reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2003.
Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., and raised in Saskatoon, Sask., he played two seasons in the WHL followed by four years at McGill (1983 to 1987), where he served as team captain and was twice named as team MVP while earning a bachelor's degree in physical education (1986).
Since his coaching career began in 1988, Babcock has compiled an 825-565-127 overall record in 1,517 games, including a 282-139-71 mark in six National Hockey League seasons.
"One of the most exciting times for me as a Canadian, a coach in the National Hockey League is when we go into Vancouver. When they sing the national anthem in Vancouver and the fans join in, that's a special thing when you are standing on the bench as a coach and they get going in that building," said Babcock.
"I can't even imagine how it's going to be the first game in there (during the Olympics) and how exciting it's going to be."

Mike Babcock's Career Coaching Record

REGULAR SEASON PLAYOFFS
Season Team League G W L T PCT G W L
1988-89 Red Deer CCAA 24 18 4 2 0.792 - - - 0.000
1989-90 Red Deer CCAA 24 11 12 1 0.479 - - - 0.000
1990-91 Red Deer CCAA 25 19 6 0 0.760 - - - 0.000
1991-92 Moose Jaw WHL 72 33 36 3 0.465 4 0 4 0.000
1992-93 Moose Jaw WHL 72 27 42 3 0.396 0 0 0 0.000
1993-94 Lethbridge CIAU 28 19 7 2 0.714 9 7 2 0.778
1994-95 Spokane WHL 72 32 36 4 0.486 11 6 5 0.545
1995-96 Spokane WHL 72 50 18 4 0.722 9 3 6 0.333
1996-97 Spokane WHL 65 31 30 4 0.508 9 4 5 0.444
1996-97 CANADA JR. IIHF 4 2 0 2 0.750 3 3 0 1.000
1997-98 Spokane WHL 72 45 23 4 0.653 18 10 8 0.556
1998-99 Spokane WHL 72 19 44 9 0.326 0 0 0 0.000
1999-00 Spokane WHL 72 47 21 4 0.681 20 15 5 0.750
2000-01 Cincinnati AHL 80 41 26 13 0.594 4 1 3 0.250
2001-02 Cincinnati AHL 80 33 33 14 0.500 3 1 2 0.333
2002-03 Anaheim NHL 82 40 33 9 0.579 21 15 6 0.714
2003-04 Anaheim NHL 82 29 43 10 0.402 - - - 0.000
2004 CANADA SR. IIHF 8 5 2 1 0.688 3 3 0 1.000
2005-06 Detroit NHL 82 58 16 8 0.756 6 2 4 0.333
2006-07 Detroit NHL 82 50 19 13 0.689 18 10 8 0.556
2007-08 Detroit NHL 82 54 21 7 0.683 22 16 6 0.727
2008-09 Detroit NHL 82 51 21 10 0.683 23 15 8 0.652
OVERALL CAREER TOTALS: 1334 714 493 127 0.583 183 111 72 0.607

ALL GAMES (Reg. Season + Playoffs): 1517 825 565 127 0.586

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
475 Pine Avenue W.,
Montreal, QC H2W 1S4
CANADA
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
514-398-1956 (Fax)
www.mcgill.ca/athletics

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REPORT: Babcock to be named Olympic coach
Jun. 23, 2009

By Tim Wharnsby

The Globe and Mail

According to the Globe and Mail, Mike Babcock will be sworn in as the coach of the 2010 Canadian Olympic men’s hockey team in Montreal this week. Hockey Canada and everyone involved has been tight-lipped about the appointment, but a source confirmed last night that Yzerman will announce the McGill grad as the coach most likely on Thursday in a press conference to take place a few blocks from Montreal’s McGill University, where Babcock played defence.

COMPLETE STORY AT:

www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/babcock-to-be-named-olympic-coach/article1192971/

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVE REGINEK, DETROIT RED WINGS)

SEE VIDEO CLIP FROM CTV NATIONAL NEWS BELOW (NOTE: it is the next clip after the Nixon story)