“We’ve always said we’re going to retire at 60 and I’m 59, so that’s basically it,” Babcock said in an interview with AM 680 CKOM in Saskatoon. “Now, if things change, I guess they do, but that’s certainly not our plan. “Trust me, we’ve talked to a lot of people about opportunities and we’ve enjoyed those conversations. At the end of the day, we feel like this is what’s best for us and what’s best for our family, and so that’s what we’re doing.” Babcock stepped down as volunteer head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team on Thursday after just one year in the position, which he said was always the plan. He last coached in the NHL in 2019-20 when he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs just 23 games into the season. Babcock was one of the most successful coaches of his era, which included leading the Detroit Red Wings to the Stanley Cup in 2008 and twice winning Olympic gold with Canada. However, after he was fired by the Maple Leafs, accusations of bullying and verbal abuse were leveled against Babcock by some of his former players, including Johan Franzen and Chris Chelios. An incident involving then-rookie Mitch Marner also brought to light some of Babcock’s questionable coaching tactics. Babcock had apologized to Marner before the incident became public, but the veteran manager’s job prospects have been slim ever since. He was a candidate for the Washington Capitals vacancy before Peter Laviolette was hired in September 2020 and had a brief stint as a studio analyst with NBC Sports. He then joined the Huskies in the spring of 2021 and served as a mentor to then-associate coach Brandin Cote, who now takes over as head coach. Saskatchewan posted a 14-9 record under Babcock and lost to the Calgary Dinos in the Canada West quarterfinals. Now that this chapter of his career has come to an end, Babcock says he will enjoy hunting, skiing and spending time with his family. “For us, it’s time to move on,” he said.
