Babcock to receive two-year, $8M deal from Blue Jackets on Saturday
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Mike Babcock will officially be announced as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ new head coach on Saturday with a two-year deal, according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
Babcock will receive $4 million per season, LeBrun adds.
His eight-year contract he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2015 is set to expire this Friday at midnight.
Earlier this month, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported there was speculation Babcock would return to the NHL with Columbus. According to Dreger, the Jackets would wait to finalize things until his deal with Toronto officially came to an end.
Babcock is set to take over from Brad Larsen, who coached Columbus for the previous two seasons, leading the club to a 25-49-9 record for 59 points last season.
The Leafs fired Babcock in November of 2019 with three years remaining on his eight-year, $50-million contract.
The Saskatoon, Sask., native compiled a 173-133-41 record with Toronto. He led the team to four playoff appearances but failed to make it out of the first round.
Babcock has coached 1,301 NHL games and has a 700-418-164 record with 19 ties split between the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. His 700 wins are good for 12th place in NHL history.
The 60-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008 and won two Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014 coaching Team Canada. He is the first and only coach to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, World Cup, World Championship, and World Junior Championship.