Long time Red Wings fan here. I recall when he came to Detroit from Anaheim, a franchise he helped turn around and become a real contender.

And in the first seasons, I could see that same spark & drive in the man. He took control of a historic team that seemed lost after the successes of the late ninties, giving them focus and demanding hard work necessary to return to the Finals. For that I will always be grateful.

...and as with any intro like this, things began to slip. Multiple consectutive eliminations in the early playoff rounds foreshadowed an apparent lack of interest. Nothing stood out more for me than Game 4 against the Lightning in late April.

Entering the third period with a slender but dominant two goal lead, Babcock visibly lost focus and even lost interest. Instead of taking advantage of Tampa Bay's then shaky goal tending, the Red Wings could be seen goofing around both on & off the ice. What was nearly two full playoff games of shutout hockey slipped into absurdity as the Lightning quickly took advantage of Detroit, rebounding from a two goal deficit to winning in OT. As the cameras flashed to the Red Wings bench, it was right then that I saw Babcock seemingly not giving a flying fvck. And he didn't for the rest of the series.

I have a high respect for Toronto and I certainly wish them well. Any franchise with that history (esp. an Original Six) deserves to regain that heritage in the same vein that Boston & the Rangers have. But I can't help but question the dedication of a man who quit long well before the season was over. Good luck, Toronto. And good riddance to Badcock.