Red Wings' Babcock: 'If you don't want to be coached, don't come here'

Detroit is no longer considered a championship refuge - it's no secret. 

Once the destination for players looking to change their misfortunes, Detroit grinds harder each season to continue their aristocratic run of postseason appearances. 

While their downturn is certainly cyclical in nature, some suggest that they've slipped from their NHL perch due to an inability to attract free agents and the saltiness of their head coach. 

On a radio appearance Thursday, coach Mike Babcock was asked if he believed his presence contributed to their struggles in luring free-agent help, and boy did he take the opportunity answer his critics. 

"The way I look at it here, if you don't want to be coached, don't come here," Bacock said via Detroit Sports 105.1. "If you want to be pushed to be the best that you can be, that's what we do here. You know what? The proof is in the pudding.

"If [the Wings] are concerned about [free agents not liking me], then I should coach somewhere else."

He explained that his thorny approach is rooted in getting the best out of his players. 

Am I warm and cuddly every day? I am with my family. I think I care a lot about my players. When you care about people, you make them do it right. When you don't, and there's lots of coaches that don't, then their teams don't do it right and they don't have success. We just have the hard meetings. We get it out front. Does it piss people off once in a while? Absolutely. But it also leads to behavioral changes and getting things better. So you know what, I'm not apologizing for that stuff at all.

There's no questioning Babcock's results in nine seasons with the Red Wings, but, although he hasn't forced a mass exodus from the previous regime, his words aren't exactly inviting.