Mike Babcock has a new job and he’s heading to the college hockey world.
The University of Vermont men’s team announced that Babcock will join as a volunteer advisor to head coach Todd Woodcroft.
“Mike and I have been connected for over 15 years and our network goes back even further to our McGill University experience,” Woodcroft said. “He 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. 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.”
Woodcroft was Canada’s video coach at the 2004 World Championship where Babcock was head coach.
Babcock, who has coached 1,301 NHL games with three teams, was last behind a bench with the Maple Leafs before being fired in November. His trophy case includes a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals, among other titles.
Weeks after his dismissal, allegations of mental abuse were levied against Babcock regarding an incident with Mitch Marner when he was a rookie. Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said the actions were not “appropriate or acceptable.” The head coach would respond telling Sportsnet, “I was trying to focus on work ethic with Mitch — focusing on role models — ended up not being a good idea. I apologized at (the) time.”
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.