Mike Babcock's reaction mirrored that of many Toronto Maple Leafs fans on the night of the draft lottery.
While team president Brendan Shanahan smiled and said all the right things on national TV following the announcement that the Leafs had won the right to select first overall, Babcock celebrated from his lakehouse.
"When we got in the top three I had my hands in the air,” the head coach told Postmedia's Michael Traikos from the World Championship in Russia on Saturday.
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“I thought it was unbelievable and then obviously when we were set up to be No. 1 it was a real big thing for our franchise. There’s real good players and you get the chance to select a player that’s going to make a real difference, both as a human being and as a player in our city. And I think it gives our fans hope, which is so important.”
Babcock is in St. Petersburg, where he'll watch top prospects Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine play for the United States and Finland, respectively, on Sunday.
“Elite players,” said Babcock. “We’re going to have a big decision in the end. It’s exciting for us. We’ve all spent a long time watching these players. In the end, that’s why we pay (head scout Mark Hunter) the big bucks, to make that decision. I’m sure we’ll all have some input. But we’re excited.”
Babcock also knows the franchise player they choose will need some time to fully develop.
"They’re not going to be dominant players right away. I’m not saying that at all. But they’re going to be good players.”
