Fansided

2014 Sochi Olympics: Mike Babcock Will Coach Team Canada

By Josh Hill

May 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock addresses the media after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks after game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock addresses the media after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks after game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
May 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock addresses the media after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks after game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock addresses the media after the game against the Chicago Blackhawks after game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Red Wings 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Last summer we were graced with the forging of powers that was The Avengers. In 2014 during the Sochi Olympics, Team Canada is putting together their best team of Avengers to try and bring home hockey gold and ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that team will be headed up by Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock.

As LeBrun mentions, Babcock will have his ace team of Avengers with him as top notch names like  St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, former Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff and Stanley Cup bound Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins will be joining Babcock’s staff in Sochi.

Last time Babcock was head coach of Tam Canada was in 2010 when they battled Team USA to take home the gold medal in Vancouver. But while Babcock and his elite staff have committed to coaching Team Canada next winter, there is still the matter of the players to iron out. There has still been no official decision that will allow the season to hold in order to allow players to travel to Sochi and compete for their national teams.

It’s expected that the NHL and NHLPA will see eye-to-eye enough to allow players to once again compete in the Olympic Games and if that indeed happens it’s going to be tough to match up against Team Canada. The players that lead the 2010 team to Olympic gold are older, wiser and much better than they were back in 2010 which means betting against the Canadians will be hard to do.

Home/Detroit Red Wings