Toronto Maple Leafs hire Mike Babcock ($50M/8yrs) Part III | MOD WARNING IN OP

[dtones520]

Or maybe he accomplished all he could in Detroit and he wanted the ultimate challenge in Toronto? The money obviously helped but Buffalo offered the same thing.....

I think if the money was closer he would have stayed in Detroit, but the leafs offer was double what Detroit offered. He, basically, couldn't turn down that contract. He would have done all of the other NHL coaches a disservice by not taking that deal and leaving $30 million on the table. I think that when he talks about coaching an original 6 franchise being one of the things that lead him to Toronto that is also him hinting that his heart was in Detroit.

 

[Muston Atthews]

I think if the money was closer he would have stayed in Detroit, but the leafs offer was double what Detroit offered. He, basically, couldn't turn down that contract. He would have done all of the other NHL coaches a disservice by not taking that deal and leaving $30 million on the table. I think that when he talks about coaching an original 6 franchise being one of the things that lead him to Toronto that is also him hinting that his heart was in Detroit.

It was also for 8 years as opposed to "3-5" which would have been in Detroit as Babcock noted. Babcock himself knew that there's only so long a coach can stay in one place. 10 years is a long time, especially adding 3-5 years to that. It was his choice to leave rather than being let go also had a lot to do with it.