WHOA - Mike Babcock OUT | Sheldon Keefe IN
- Thread starter herman
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Heroic Shrimp
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Chris said:
Guru Tugginmypuddah
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Ohhhh sweetness I was only joking when I said..............
Kin
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Frank E said:
I get what you're saying here but I think what Fraser is saying is that this goes beyond that. Right? Because Fraser never played for Babcock so he wouldn't have a personal axe to grind.
And, to be fair, there is some evidence that Babcock can be difficult in seemingly petty ways. People here were perplexed by the Spezza thing and in the responses to Fraser they mentioned how Babcock scratched Modano for the last four games of his last season, leaving him at 1499 games played.
Strangelove
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I?ve never seen players react to a head coach being fired the way the Leafs did. Usually everyone is contrite, heads bowed, taking responsibility For what happened, etc.
None of that happened this time. The players were pretty obviously happy as hell. That reaction combined with what we?ve heard from numerous other NHLers is damning.
None of that happened this time. The players were pretty obviously happy as hell. That reaction combined with what we?ve heard from numerous other NHLers is damning.
Frank E
Active member
Nik Bethune said:
I'm not saying that he's lying. "I know other people that didn't like him" isn't really much of a statement.
I'm saying that there are many players that didn't like their coach. I'm sure some guys didn't like Keefe too. And I'm also saying that it's super classy for guys to go on twitter and whine about a ex-coach from way back, and a "yeah, I heard that too" tweet from a guy that couldn't even hardly crack an NHL roster, about a coach that going to the Hall.
Kin
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Frank E said:
But I don't think that's what Fraser is saying. In the thread he acknowledges that players and coaches don't always get along. For him to say this says, to me at least, that in Fraser's view this is a situation that exceeds that, whether to the extent that some of his players don't like him or the number that do.
And I don't really think that him being a marginal player affects how we should see this. Those guys are often exposed more to the ugly side of the game. The Mike Babcocks of the world have real incentive to at least try to get along with the Auston Matthewses so if a coach doesn't treat people well, which granted is still an if, then it's often people in Fraser's position who feels the brunt of it.
Frank E
Active member
Bates said:
Yep, over the years I've heard the same stuff about a lot of coaches in the league.
Babcock had a ton of success, and sometimes that makes you an easy target when things don't go well. I recall Shanahan using Babcock to help acquire Tavares. There was talk that one of the Russians (Mikeheyev?) was coming over to play specifically for Babcock. Seems Gardiner wanted to return even after years of criticism by fans.
This business isn't unlike other businesses that are very short term results based: when there are a lot of stressful situations, there is going to be blowups and some people will carry grudges.
Frank E said:
I would question the ton of success. Very few Babcock teams exceed expectations. Tavares wanting to come home probably shouldn't be used for the pro Babcock case. Anyway agree to disagree, Babcock is one of tge least liked elite coaches in the League, well known fact that has been proven again in Toronto.
Bates said:
I was just going to mention that. Yes he?s had success and I don?t wish to really downplay his Olympic etc success but he had help and he had the superstars who would listen and adapt to anything to win. Short term basis that works. Long term we see what happens. Babcock did a lot of good and was what the Leafs needed but in the end his disagreement with how the team was built and his passive aggressive comments and actions with the team has tarnished his image in my opinion.
Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
Literally has been discussed by the pundits for years in regards to the Wings. Filpula would not waive his clause to come to Leaf's a year or two ago. Chelios talked openly about it. Commodore has openly despised him for years. An example below.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/chris-chelios-blasts-mike-babcock-free-agents-veteran-detroit-red-wings-toronto-maple-leafs/