The Mike Babcock Era is set to begin in Columbus.
Once the 60-year-old veteran coach's contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires on June 30, the Blue Jackets can make his hiring official. The team is expected to introduce Babcock as the ninth full-time head coach in franchise history on Saturday, July 1 at Nationwide Arena.
One question surrounding the impending hire was the term of Babcock's contract. At the end of the week, he will complete an eight-year, $50 million deal signed with the Maple Leafs in 2015 – at the time, a landmark deal for NHL head coaches. On Wednesday before the NHL Draft, TSN's Pierre LeBrun divulged details on Babcock's contract with Columbus.
It will be a two-year deal worth $4 million per season ($8 million total), the highest annual contract value ever given to a head coach in Blue Jackets history.
Mike Babcock will officially be announced as the #CBJ head coach on Saturday with a two-year deal worth $4 million a season, according to @PierreVLeBrun: https://t.co/XcMbdtnHxr
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) June 28, 2023
Babcock inherits a Blue Jackets team that is in the midst of a "reset" that kicked into gear earlier in June. GM Jarmo Kekalainen traded for defenseman Ivan Provorov, formerly of Philadelphia, and executed a sign-and-trade for defenseman Damon Severson from New Jersey. Severson signed an eight-year deal worth $50 million.
The 12th-winningest coach in NHL history, Babcock has racked up 700 wins across three stops (Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto) and 1,301 games. As the 2023-24 season begins, Babcock will be just four wins behind former Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella (704) for 11th place on the all-time list.
Stay tuned to 1st Ohio Battery for more coverage from Babcock's introduction.
