Former bench boss Mike Babcock hasn't officially closed the curtains on his head coaching career, but he doesn't intend to jump back into the NHL fray if a team comes knocking.
"No, that's sure not the plan," he said during an appearance Friday on 650 CKOM in Saskatchewan. "My wife and I have discussed this a ton, obviously. ... We always said we were going to retire at 60, and I'm 59. Basically, that's what it is.
"If things change, I guess they change, but surely that's not our plan. Believe me, we've talked to lots of people about opportunities and enjoyed those conversations. In the end, we feel this is best for us and best for our family, so that's what we're doing."
Babcock resigned Thursday after one season as the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan's men's hockey team. He coached the Huskies to a 13-7-0 regular-season record, including a seven-game win streak to open the campaign. However, Saskatchewan fell to the Calgary Dinos in a best-of-three quarterfinal.
The Saskatchewan native said Friday that he relished the opportunity to coach so close to home.
"Since I got kicked off the treadmill in Toronto, (my wife and I) have really enjoyed life," he said. "It was a spectacular experience to come back to Saskatoon, obviously to be around my family. ... In saying that, for us, it's time to move on."
Babcock's NHL head coaching career spanned parts of 17 seasons. He amassed an all-time record of 700-418-19-164 while spending time at the helm with the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Maple Leafs fired Babcock early into the 2019-20 season following a six-game winless streak. Babcock missed the playoffs only twice in his NHL career and captured the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008.
