Mike Babcock Reportedly Frontrunner for New Head Coaching Job After Nasty Breakup With Columbus

A few years ago, former Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock looked to his new role in the NHL, inking a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets to play the same role there.

However, that quickly fell apart after reports of his actions leaked to the public, with the pressure from fans and players making it clear that the Blue Jackets simply had to move on from him, doing so before he even coached a game with the organization.

Since then, we've not seen Babcock, with his last game coached in the NHL being way back in 2019/20 before he was fired by the Maple Leafs, but now, his career could be on the verge of getting re-ignited.

A recent report from Russian insider Artur Khairullin has revealed that AK Bars Kazan in the KHL have listed Babcock as an internal candidate for their new Head Coaching role.

Given the different standards in the KHL, Babcock's antics in the locker room likely won't be as frowned upon in Russia, and that combined with how effective he is as a coach makes him the perfect candidate for a KHL squad.

Only time will tell if Babcock is seriously in contention for the AK Bars role ahead of the new season, but if the report is to be believed, we could be seeing the former Ducks, Red Wings and Maple Leafs Head Coach back in the coaching game by the end of the season.