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Babcock tours Buffalo facility, team has no comment on coaching search

Florida Panthers v Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 26: Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock watches the warms ups prior to the start of the game against the Florida Panthers at Joe Louis Arena on January 26, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Panthers defeated the Wings 5-4 in a shootout. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

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Babswatch is off and running.

Mike Babcock, the longtime Detroit coach that’s been granted permission to interview elsewhere, was spotted in Buffalo on Sunday evening taking a tour of HarborCenter, the hockey-themed commercial complex financed by Sabres owner Terry Pegula.

According to the Buffalo News, Pegula was part of Babcock’s tour, along with Sabres GM Tim Murray; the News also reported that the Sabres issued a “no comment” about its coaching search, and would continue to do so until the new bench boss was hired.

Buffalo’s head coaching position has been vacant since Murray fired Ted Nolan on Apr. 12. The club has been tied to a number of candidates -- including AHL Binghamton’s Luke Richardson -- but Murray made it clear upon dismissing Nolan the team had aspirations of hiring the “perfect” candidate for the job.

“You have to find a perfect fit to be really successful,” he said, per the News.

Babcock and Murray are familiar with one another, having worked together in Anaheim from 2002-04. Babcock led the upstart Ducks to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, eventually losing in Game 7 to New Jersey.