Sharks To Interview Babcock For Head Coach Vacancy
After firing head coach Todd McLellan following the San Jose Sharks worst season in more than a decade, the Sharks turned to gathering up potential candidates to interview for the open position - including former Detroit Red Wings coach, Mike Babcock.
According to mlive.com, the Sharks and Babcock plan to meet sometime this week, with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues also considering him for head coaching jobs.
What makes this interesting is the similarities between the former coach McLellan and the prospective coach Babcock. For three years before McLellan was the Sharks head coach, we was an assistant coach under Babcock for the Red Wings. Together they won the Stanley Cup in 2008 - a feat McLellan was unable to do during his seven years with the Sharks.
Besides the Stanley Cup, Babcock also coached the Canadian Olympic hockey teams in 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi - they won the gold medal both years. During those two stints, he happened to coach current Sharks players Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Marc-Edouard Vlasic who happened to be on the team.
If Babcock were to choose to come to San Jose, he would be coaching a similar team who plays a similar style he implemented in Detroit. Sure the transition may be seamless, but he would cost the Sharks quite a bit of coin to be even considered. He currently has an option to return to Detroit for $3.25 million per year for four years.
Sharks owner, Hasso Plattner, held a press conference with the media earlier this month and mentioned how "cost in general is an issue" when it comes to hiring a coach. Price may be a part of the problem for San Jose, but Babcock mentioned money wont be the deciding factor. The two parties may work something out if the interest is mutual.
The Sharks have had plenty of opportunities to watch Babcock manage a team and be a successful coach in the NHL. After a disastrous season filled with poor upper management decisions, hiring a proven coach may be a good first step to take to get back on track.
Russell Preston - KHTK Sacramento
