[News] Leafs fire Babcock, hire Sheldon Keefe (Marlies) as replacement - Page 7 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

hwy19man · 11-20-2019, 05:36 PM

Dave Poulin is going to have egg on his face. He was saying last night on TSN, after the Leafs lost to the Knights, that Babcock will remain as coach to the end of the regular season. Wrong!

Dr. Doom · 11-20-2019, 05:38 PM

This guy took what should be exciting on ice product and turned it to boring, even worse brand of hockey.

We have almost the same issue here and people want to bring Babcock in?

Careful what you wish for. Think Babcock's style might be a little dated for new NHL.

hwy19man · 11-20-2019, 05:38 PM

Babcock's career record is 700-418-183 with Toronto, Detroit, and Anaheim.
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl-maple-leafs-mike-babcock-fired-1.5367018

curves2000 · 11-20-2019, 05:48 PM

Babcock is a good coach, no doubt. I think he got his reputation as some amazing coach by some pretty impressive performances in Detroit from 2005 until maybe 2010.

I think a good combination of great quality drafting, some iconic top tier players and a GM in Holland that made a lot of decisions that worked out. Mike Babcock was also a coach who was generally ahead of the curve from a North American perspective on puck possession, speed and skill style coaching. Part of this was his style and part of it was his players as well.

His numbers in Detroit are very impressive which lead to the 2010 Olympic Team and the Gold Medal in Vancouver. At that point he was the golden child and was given the top tier roles within Hockey Canada which further made his name bigger than others.

I don't believe for a moment that a Coach Q , Julian, Hitchcock or other top tier coach couldn't have had similar success with those Team Canada teams.

I think he is a great coach but for far too long he was considered the "Bill Belichick" of NHL coaches went in reality his post season success over the last decade has been blah.

A combination of his ego, the sky high expectations of getting him, paying him $6+ million plus all the "superstars" that are on the team lead to fan's thinking the club is better than it is.

I don't think for a moment that he didn't like or respect some of the moves or hockey knowledge of Dubas either. I don't think a guy like Babcock would be big into taking advice and orders from a GM who hasn't done a whole lot and can't grow a beard.

Good coach, solid performer and I know the coaching fraternity appreciates the work he did to get salaries up but I can't help but think that some of them shake their heads with his reputation.

topfiverecords · 11-20-2019, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino7c

Lets see your tweet that got 4000 likes in 30 mins

as a media personality he is getting what he wants

The peasants line up for the slop.

cannon7 · 11-20-2019, 05:54 PM

Sheldon Keefe is actually a good coach. So Leafs are better off, sadly.

SuperMatt18 · 11-20-2019, 05:55 PM

I think Babcocks ego has gotten too big to be honest.

Talking about himself in the third person, never able to admit his own mistakes, just overall seeming like the game is about him and not the players on the ice.

He hasn’t won a playoff series in 6 seasons now (this will be 7) and won his cup with a stacked Wings team.

I still think he can be a good coach in the short term but I don’t think he was ever as good as his press clipping, and I feel like long term his act will wear on people.

goodyear · 11-20-2019, 06:11 PM

Flames hire Babcock as the head coach, Bill Peters becomes the associate coach, I'll plan the back to back parade.

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk

Jeff Lebowski · 11-20-2019, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Keefe is very highly rated, but at the same time, a rookie NHL coach trying to save a team in WinNow mode, in Toronto.

That's a big ask.

If I had to guess, Keefe is a believer incorporating the information in advnaced stats. This will be like what is seen in MLB. Front offices will compile lots of interesting data and give to coaching staff. It's then up to coaches to use that info. I think Babcock didn't utilize this info to the fullest and relied on traditionalist school of coaching. Keefe will be all in on data. Thus the team will be run by Dubas-Keefe tactically.

I think many NHL teams still use the mantra that the coach has the final say on roster even if they are using analytics.

TOR will be example of a team where front office data will wholly be incorporated (game to game and in game).

Also, Keefe is a young guy and may be able to relate more easily to the modern player.

MRCboicgy · 11-20-2019, 07:05 PM

Even better than Commodore's tweet was this verified reply:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1197311892034916353

Mightyfire89 · 11-20-2019, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Even better than Commodore's tweet was this verified reply:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1197311892034916353

The Iron Sheik knows what’s up!

dino7c · 11-20-2019, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cannon7

Sheldon Keefe is actually a good coach. So Leafs are better off, sadly.

Has he ever coached an NHL game?

bluejays · 11-20-2019, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino7c

Has he ever coached an NHL game?

No, but his minors record is pretty legit. I think he's the exact type of coach they need to work with young guys. Now, I don't know how his anxiety will play out (IIRC he had issues during his playing career related to travel). As a coach though I think he'll be more than cut out for it.

Jiri Hrdina · 11-20-2019, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

No, but his minors record is pretty legit. I think he's the exact type of coach they need to work with young guys. Now, I don't know how his anxiety will play out (IIRC he had issues during his playing career related to travel). As a coach though I think he'll be more than cut out for it.

His agent was also David Frost who was at the centre of the whole Mike Danton weirdness
Keefe was part of Frost’s crew in Brampton
There is a little bit of weirdness in his history

transplant99 · 11-20-2019, 07:54 PM

I heard something on the radio that Keefe is 200 games over .500 in his 6 years of coaching juniors/ahl.

That's insane.

browna · 11-20-2019, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

No, but his minors record is pretty legit. I think he's the exact type of coach they need to work with young guys. Now, I don't know how his anxiety will play out (IIRC he had issues during his playing career related to travel). As a coach though I think he'll be more than cut out for it.

Longest tenured coach is Marlies history was Eakins. And he wasn't ready to be a head coach, but the Oilers rushed to assume he was.

Given the other coaches under the Marlies (Maurice, who did it for a year to get back into the game between NHL jobs, and got paid a ton, Greg Gilbert and Gord Dineen, etc), who knows how good a coach that he actually is, vs the hype of a up and come especially in the Toronto spotlight. Just like their players are over values, so are their coaches.

dino7c · 11-20-2019, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

No, but his minors record is pretty legit. I think he's the exact type of coach they need to work with young guys. Now, I don't know how his anxiety will play out (IIRC he had issues during his playing career related to travel). As a coach though I think he'll be more than cut out for it.

We will see...winning in the AHL isn't necessarily the #1 goal. Marlies roster is more of a veteran group rather than a team preparing guys for the NHL

bubbsy · 11-20-2019, 08:59 PM

I respected Babcock a lot, but his tenure has changed my opinion.

During his tenure they have built up a formidable offensive core of players. I had just assumed he was a coach that could create systems to develop strong 2 way teams.

The leafs have been terribad on d for his entire tenure here. He didn't create a d oriented system, yet managed to piss off his offensive stars on the process.

I admit i have NO idea about the nhl coach/player dynamic. It seems pretty f'd up though. Things you hear about Keenan, etc, on mechanisms to try to control the group, are just messed up.

As a people manager for approaching a decade, especially when you are leaned on to develop upcoming talent, i would think the nhl coach would evolve to more of a development based, father figure type, to help young guys grow.

Instead, it seems nhl coaches are just mind game playing, egotistical jerks.

Trotz is the man. He seems a cut above the rest. Experienced guy who can manage all age groups of players.

savemedrzaius · 11-20-2019, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dino7c

We will see...winning in the AHL isn't necessarily the #1 goal. Marlies roster is more of a veteran group rather than a team preparing guys for the NHL

Gauthier, Hyman, Johnsson, Kapanen, Nylander, Timazhov, Engvall, Dermott, Holl are all players that are currently on the NHL roster who spent significant time with the Marlies and Keefe.

Seems to have done a pretty good job at preparing them for the NHL if you ask me.

dino7c · 11-20-2019, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

Gauthier, Hyman, Johnsson, Kapanen, Nylander, Timazhov, Engvall, Dermott, Holl are all players that are currently on the NHL roster who spent significant time with the Marlies and Keefe.

Seems to have done a pretty good job at preparing them for the NHL if you ask me.

Totally missed my point...they won with a lot of veteran one way AHL contracts. In the AHL it's not all about wins and losses like the NHL.

We will see if he is a good NHL coach