Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock has found another coaching job. Per a report from NHL.com, Babcock will join the University of Vermont hockey team as a volunteer adviser for the 2020-21 season.
Babcock joins the team under the leadership of first-year Vermont coach Todd Woodcroft, most recently an assistant with the Winnipeg Jets. Woodcroft was hired by Vermont on April 15.
“(Babcock) is a premier coach across any athletic platform and as a coaching staff we are very fortunate to be able to draw from his experiences,” Catamounts head coach Todd Woodcroft said in a statement. He added, “Mike’s knowledge, his network, and above all else, the modern lens he uses to look at the game of hockey will help accelerate the progression of our entire program.”
Babcock, as many hockey fans are aware, was fired as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 20, 2019. He was replaced by current Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. The 57-year-old Babcock was in his fifth season with the Leafs when he was dismissed after his team failed to live up to expectations.
Babcock will not take a salary, most likely to maintain pay on his contract guarantee from the Maple Leafs. He had millions left on his deal with the organization.
Stuart Joins the Staff
Mark Stuart, a former NHL defenseman, joined the Vermont staff as a volunteer coach.
Woodcroft said of hiring Stuart:
“Often as a coach, you learn more from the players than they learn from you. Working with Mark in Winnipeg and watching him approach his career as if every day were his last was something that always stood out to me. When the process to hire a coaching staff began, the question started with a “what” versus a “who”.
Woodcroft went on to say that Stuart hit every aspect of the “what.” He said, players can expect to learn daily from Mark what it takes to be a professional – on and off the ice.
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