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BABCOCK HOPES TEAM MAKES SPLASH IN FREE AGENCY

ASSOCIATED PRESS, 4/22/2012

DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings have slipped from being regarded as an elite NHL team, getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round after consecutive second-round exits.

Just three years ago, the team was a win away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions and seemed set up to sustain the success it and its fans have gotten used to for a couple decades.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock believes a splash-making summer could restore the franchise's glory.

"We have tons of money and if we can use our cap space to get high-end free agents, we have a shot to get right back on top," Babcock said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Sunday, two days after Nashville eliminated Detroit. "If we're fortunate in free agency, we won't have to look at going in another direction.

"The standard here has always been to chase the Stanley Cup, so as a coach, I'm hoping the free-agent market helps us continue to have those goals."

The Red Wings led the NHL in points a couple months ago, but injuries to several players led to them slipping enough to be the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference playoffs with a tough matchup against the fourth-seeded Predators.

"We never recovered," Babcock said. "We never really got Darren Helm back and that hurt the balance we had on our third and fourth lines. Teams could check Z (Henrik Zetterberg) and Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) like crazy and get away with it."

Detroit didn't have enough depth up front and had too many miscues on the back end against the Predators.

"When you make defensive mistakes and you don't score your problems are magnified," Babcock said.

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It's neat to see people progress in the coaching careers. I went through the first NCCP / Hockey Canada 'new' Level 4 & 5 certification as a member of ten coaches. It started back in 1992 or 1994 (my memory gets challenged the older I get!) We were dubbed, "The 10-4 Group." Mike was part of this cohort. I roomed with him in Kamloops and helped deliver a couple of the Level 4 tasks on exercise physiology and planning back in the mid 1990's (when Kamloops hosted the M Cup.)

Fast forward to the early 2000's. Mike came to present to a new group of HP 2 coaches (replacing the Level 4 / 5 program) in Calgary. He told everyone a story about how he hated it when cell phones went off during team meetings; so much so that he fined (NHL) guys $500 if it happened. Coaches in the room look around, and turn off their phones. So he starts into his presentation and a cell phone starts ringing. Mike gets pissed off, stops talking and looks out at the group. Everybody dives for their phones to make sure it isn't theirs… it becomes obvious that it is coming from the front of the room… from Mike's jacket!!!! OOPS! Mike sheepishly apologized and said, "Drinks are on me tonight boys. My fault I didn't turn off my phone."

So we were having a beer with Mike and a few other coaches at a local pub that night (taking advantage of his offer to cover the tab!) – It was while he was coaching Anaheim – and free agency had just opened. He received a phone call, jumped up and said"Gotta go!" and he paid the tab on his way out. We found out a day later it was his GM calling to let him know about a a big signing. Can't remember who it was now but it was a significant move at the time.

Funny stuff!

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."