Mike Babcock takes a slick shot at Kyle Dubas
Photo credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Mike Babcock is back in Toronto, and his reflections on his time with the Maple Leafs are already turning heads.
Now coaching the Edmonton Oilers, Babcock spoke ahead of Saturday's game against his old team and gave a mixed review of his stay in the city.
I loved it. I worked with real good people. I enjoyed the heck out of my first 3 years, worked with good hockey men. I didn't enjoy my last year and a half as much. But that's the business. I really enjoyed my time here.
Babcock never mentioned Kyle Dubas by name, but the timeline makes the subtext hard to ignore.
Reading Between the Lines
Lou Lamoriello ran the front office for Babcock's first three seasons in Toronto. Dubas took over ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, so the stretch Babcock enjoyed least lines up with the Dubas era. Whether that was intentional is unclear, but the contrast is notable.
Friction between the two was a storyline well before the firing. In March 2019, Babcock insisted he and Dubas were on the same page after comments about roster depth were read as a jab at his GM.
Toronto fired Babcock 23 games into the 2019-20 season, with the Leafs sitting at 9-10-4 and three years left on his contract. Sheldon Keefe took over behind the bench.
What Comes Next
Babcock has also made clear he is not up for much reminiscing, and he does not seem to care how Leafs fans view his tenure. The Leafs made the playoffs in each of his last three full seasons, but lost in the opening round every time.
For Leafs fans, the question is whether this is simply a coach being honest about a rocky ending or a shot at the man who ended it. Babcock has not said either way.
The Oilers face the Leafs on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena, and Babcock will once again be the center of attention. Connor McDavid, who grew up a Leafs fan, will also command plenty of eyes.
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