Blue Jackets to introduce new head coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to host a press conference at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 1 to introduce Mike Babcock as the team’s next coach.

The Blue Jackets released Brad Larsen back on April 15, with Babcock’s name showing up in the rumor mill shortly after.

Friday marks the final day of Babcock’s eight-year, $50 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, a deal that was announced back on May 20, 2015. The Leafs let Babcock go on Nov. 20, 2019, after the team fell into a major six-game losing streak. Allegations also arose about a toxic environment around the team.

Babcock, 60, previously served as the head coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Detroit Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. He spent the 2021–22 season as the head coach of the men’s ice hockey program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Babcock won the Stanley Cup in 2008 with Detroit and finished as a runner-up in 2003 and 2009. The Manitouwadge, Ont. product also led Team Canada to gold medals at the 2010 Olympics and the 2004 and 2016 World Cups of Hockey.

Internationally, Babcock, who was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2018, has won gold at the world juniors, World Championship and at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games. He last won gold at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, giving him a 100 percent championship rate as Canada’s head coach.

Over his 17-year career as an NHL coach, Babcock led his teams to a 700–418–164 record in 1,301 regular-season games. He also has a 90–74 record in 14 playoff runs.

The Blue Jackets finished the 2022–23 regular season with the worst record (25–48–9) in the Eastern Conference. Columbus enters 2023–24 having missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, but will be armed with top prospect Adam Fantilli and new offseason additions Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson.