Team Canada is officially in Mike Babcock's hands.
He was introduced Thursday as the hockey coach of the men's
2010 Olympic team, heading up a staff that includes Ken Hitchcock,
Lindy Ruff and Jacques Lemaire.
Babcock has been one of the NHL's most successful coaches in recent
years. He helped the Detroit Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup
finals -- winning in 2008 -- and posted at least 50 wins in four
consecutive seasons.
Canada is coming off its worst showing at the games, finishing seventh
at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
Hitchcock is the lone holdover from that coaching staff. He was also
an assistant on the 2002 team that won gold in Salt Lake City.
This is a position Babcock has coveted for some time.
Ruff was the head coach of the Canadian team that recently suffered
a second straight loss to Russia in the final of the world championship.
Lemaire has coached more than 1,100 NHL games with the Montreal
Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild and won a Stanley
Cup with the Devils in 1995. He stepped down as Wild coach at the
end of the season after missing the playoffs.
Espn.
:thum:
He was introduced Thursday as the hockey coach of the men's
2010 Olympic team, heading up a staff that includes Ken Hitchcock,
Lindy Ruff and Jacques Lemaire.
Babcock has been one of the NHL's most successful coaches in recent
years. He helped the Detroit Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup
finals -- winning in 2008 -- and posted at least 50 wins in four
consecutive seasons.
Canada is coming off its worst showing at the games, finishing seventh
at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
Hitchcock is the lone holdover from that coaching staff. He was also
an assistant on the 2002 team that won gold in Salt Lake City.
This is a position Babcock has coveted for some time.
Ruff was the head coach of the Canadian team that recently suffered
a second straight loss to Russia in the final of the world championship.
Lemaire has coached more than 1,100 NHL games with the Montreal
Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild and won a Stanley
Cup with the Devils in 1995. He stepped down as Wild coach at the
end of the season after missing the playoffs.
Espn.
:thum: