Red Wings’ Mike Babcock to coach Canada at Olympics

Days after the Canadian Hockey team was installed as co-favourites with Russia, Mike Babcock has been named as their head coach for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

The decision wasn’t a huge surprise but it’s still worth debating. Mike Babcock, head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and the man who led Canada to gold in Vancouver, will take the helm of the Olympic team next spring in Sochi. Babcock has an elite staff to assist him with head coaches Ken Hitchcock (Blues), Lindy Ruff (Stars), and Claude Julien (Bruins) teaming up with the Red Wings boss. Steve Yzerman, general manager (GM) of the Lightning, will once again be GM as he was in Vancouver. Ken Holland, GM of the Red Wings, will assist Yzerman again.

Sticking with a trusted formula has its merits but bear in mind that no team has defended the Olympic title since Albertville 1992 and even then it was technically the Unified team rather than the USSR that won gold. Babcock will be looking to achieve two feats that no Canadian team has managed since 1952. That team in Oslo was the last to secure consecutive gold medals for Canada and also the last time a Canadian team won outside of North America.

Babcock’s biggest challenge is one he managed ably in Vancouver. There will be a lot of big egos to handle. Getting experienced head coaches to adapt to being assistants will be challenging, no matter how accommodating those coaches are. Likewise there are going to be some extremely talented players getting pushed onto the third and fourth lines. In Vancouver it was easier to get buy-in for the greater good. As hosts, Canada expected their team to deliver and the pressure that brought forced all involved to focus. Now, as they have done at every Games since NHL stars started playing in the Olympics, Canada arrives with the best squad on paper. With two wins out of four, their record is good but it’s no coincidence that their two failures came in Nagano and Turin.

Russia will present the most daunting challenge. With home ice and the same level of expectation that Canada faced in 2010, if not more, the Russians will come together amidst a pressure cooker. This is where Babcock may hold an edge. Unlike Canada, Russia’s players are split between the NHL and KHL. They will look up to their leaders but if mistakes creep in they could lead to an avalanche of problems. Babcock has experience of dealing with more veterans and stars than I can count. When he walks in the room, no matter what’s just happened on the ice, he commands respect. That could be decisive in Sochi.