Madferret
7-06-05, 11:29 AM
Babcock may replace Lewis
By DAVID NAYLOR
Globe and Mail Update
The Detroit Red Wings are pursuing Mike Babcock as their new head coach, replacing Dave Lewis, according to two National Hockey League sources. Babcock, 42, coached the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the 2002-03 Stanley Cup in his rookie year behind the Ducks' bench.
His team slipped to 12th place in the Western Conference the next season, and the final year of his contract was wiped out by the lockout and expired last week. New Ducks general manager Brian Burke offered him a one-year contract last week, but Babcock has not responded. His agent, Bobby Brett, suggested he would test the waters elsewhere before Burke's deadline for a reply tomorrow.
Burke defended his decision to offer Babcock a one-year contract, saying it made little sense to offer a long-term deal to a coach with whom he had no working history.
Lewis, Detroit's head coach since the start of the 2002-03 season, also had his contract expire on June 30. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland had previously said he would not negotiate a new deal with Lewis or any of his assistants until a new collective labour agreement with the players was in place.
Lewis, 52, became Detroit's head coach after the 2001-02 season, in which the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup with legendary coach Scotty Bowman. After 15 years as a Detroit assistant, to Jacques Demers, Bryan Murray and Bowman, Lewis moved up to lead Detroit to 48 regular-season wins in each of his two seasons as the head coach. The Red Wings had poor success in the playoffs, losing in the first round of 2002-03 and the second round in 2003-04.
The Detroit Free Press reported last week that Holland had called Lewis on June 27 to arrange a meeting. Reports out of Detroit have suggested the head coach and his staff were likely to return.
Babcock, a McGill University graduate, coached in both the American and Western Hockey Leagues before joining the Ducks.
After months of inactivity, NHL clubs have been busy getting their houses in order in anticipation of a new agreement with the players. With a deal expected as early as the end of this week, the clubs will have to bone up on terms and conditions of the new deal and be ready to make significant personnel decisions in a hurry.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Phoenix Coyotes still have not formally announced head coaches. It's anticipated that former Blackhawk Trent Yawney and Wayne Gretzky, respectively, will fill the jobs.
By DAVID NAYLOR
Globe and Mail Update
The Detroit Red Wings are pursuing Mike Babcock as their new head coach, replacing Dave Lewis, according to two National Hockey League sources. Babcock, 42, coached the Anaheim Mighty Ducks to the 2002-03 Stanley Cup in his rookie year behind the Ducks' bench.
His team slipped to 12th place in the Western Conference the next season, and the final year of his contract was wiped out by the lockout and expired last week. New Ducks general manager Brian Burke offered him a one-year contract last week, but Babcock has not responded. His agent, Bobby Brett, suggested he would test the waters elsewhere before Burke's deadline for a reply tomorrow.
Burke defended his decision to offer Babcock a one-year contract, saying it made little sense to offer a long-term deal to a coach with whom he had no working history.
Lewis, Detroit's head coach since the start of the 2002-03 season, also had his contract expire on June 30. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland had previously said he would not negotiate a new deal with Lewis or any of his assistants until a new collective labour agreement with the players was in place.
Lewis, 52, became Detroit's head coach after the 2001-02 season, in which the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup with legendary coach Scotty Bowman. After 15 years as a Detroit assistant, to Jacques Demers, Bryan Murray and Bowman, Lewis moved up to lead Detroit to 48 regular-season wins in each of his two seasons as the head coach. The Red Wings had poor success in the playoffs, losing in the first round of 2002-03 and the second round in 2003-04.
The Detroit Free Press reported last week that Holland had called Lewis on June 27 to arrange a meeting. Reports out of Detroit have suggested the head coach and his staff were likely to return.
Babcock, a McGill University graduate, coached in both the American and Western Hockey Leagues before joining the Ducks.
After months of inactivity, NHL clubs have been busy getting their houses in order in anticipation of a new agreement with the players. With a deal expected as early as the end of this week, the clubs will have to bone up on terms and conditions of the new deal and be ready to make significant personnel decisions in a hurry.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Phoenix Coyotes still have not formally announced head coaches. It's anticipated that former Blackhawk Trent Yawney and Wayne Gretzky, respectively, will fill the jobs.