Ted Nolan has released the following statement the day after he was fired as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres:
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kim and Terry Pegula, Pat Lafontaine, my coaches and the Sabres management, players, medical, training, arena and public relations staff for all of their support over the past two seasons. Above all, I want to thank the fans and the beautiful people of Buffalo!
THANK YOU BUFFALO!!!
Yours in spirit, Ted.…
That's a classy message by a classy man. Nolan is a smart, passionate man. I wish him the best in his future.
He may be gone as head coach, but his memory will remain in the hearts and minds of his former Sabres players.
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Mike Babcock has grown accustomed to working family owned NHL teams. He spent time with the Samuelis in Anaheim. He has worked for the Ilitch family for the past ten years in Detroit.so why would Babcock ditch the family owned model to go work for a board of directors and two huge communications giants in Toronto?
Why work for MLSE-Bell-Sportsnet when you can work for Terry Pegula?
Bigger ain't always better.
Don’t rule out Tim Murray’s relationship with Babcock from their days spent together in Anaheim.
Murray was Babcock’s player personnel man while the two 51 year olds worked closely together in Anaheim. They remain close confidantes today.
The Ducks enjoyed much success while Murray and Babcock worked closely with one another. The duo got a good kick at the Stanley Cup can while working with one another from 2002-2004. Murray was Director of Player Personnel, which meant that he and Uncle Bryan bought the groceries that Babcock would cook to near perfection. Tim Murray would stay in Anaheim one season longer than Babcock left for Detroit. Murray eventually landed in Ottawa and Babcock took charge in Detroit.
You are probably saying to yourself: “Babcock would be crazy to leave Detroit for Buffalo…. To that I would respond, don’t put your thoughts in Mike Babcock’s head.
How do you know what Mike Babcock is thinking about his coaching future?
He will be an unrestricted free agent head coach after his Red Wings are eliminated from playoff contention. He will be free to sign with any NHL that he chooses to sign with. If he were interested in continuing on in the Motor City, why has Babcock not signed a contract extension to stay in Detroit? It’s not like his GM Ken Holland hasn’t tried to get Babs to sign a new long term contract extension.
Babcock’s motives are two-fold: he wants to be the highest paid coach in the NHL and he wants to raise the salary scale for all of his peers. High tide raises all ships.
There is no NHL coaching union that can negotiate contracts on behalf of the coaches. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon the head coach and his agent to craft the best deal possible with his team’s ownership. There is no salary cap for NHL coaching salaries. Babcock thinks that NHL coaches are grossly underpaid compared to NFL, NBA and MLB coaches and managers. His mission is to raise the average salary for his contemporaries and NHL peers. Babcock knows that on the open market he will command some serious offers and he will be able to choose his next coaching destination. Babcock need only look at Terry Pegula’s courtship and eventual acquisition of Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills to see that Tim Murray and the Sabres are committed to paying top buck to coaches in order to win the big prize. I’ve been told that Babcock and his advisors have been watching the Rex Ryan signing very closely. Babs is also keeping abreast of the Sabres and their treasure chest of young prospects and their role in the McEichel Derby. Babcock has close allies inside teh Babcock knows a thing or two about coaching youthful, all-world talent having mentored Nik Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nik Krownwall, John Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, and others in Detroit.
Babcock’s attention is locked onto his Detroit Red Wings will play Steve Yzerman’s Tampa Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, the very moment that his Wings are eliminated from the NHL playoffs, he will be the hottest name available on the NHL head coaching free agency market. The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs will be grappling with one another to see who gets to Babcock first. Sabres GM Tim Murray fired Ted Nolan and all but one of his assistant coaches on Sunday. Earlier that afternoon, Leafs President Brendan Shanahan turfed head coach Peter Horachek, his entire coaching staff and the scouting department. Babs will have the ability to hand select a tailor-made, multi-year, multi-million deal (5-6 years for $25-$30 million) that is best suited for he and his family. Murray and the Pegulas have fracked and drilled a new natural gas well that will be invested in making Babcock the highest paid head coach in NHL history. To boot, Murray will hand the pass code to the vault that contains a solar system of the youngest, most skilled stars in the NHL including Rasmus Ristolainen, Zemgus Girgsensons, Sam Reinhart, Nikita Zadorov, Mark Pysyk, Jake McCabe, Joan Larsson, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nick Baptiste, Justin Bailey, and others. Oh, by the way, the Sabres own a one in five chance of winning Connor McDavid at Saturday’s NHL Draft Lottery. If they swing and miss on McDavid, Jack Eichel will be the consolation prize.
On April 11, 2001, the Anaheim Ducks announced that Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (AHL) Head Coach Moe Mantha was not being offered a new contract. On July 11, 2000, the Ducks hired an aggressive, astute, cerebral Mike Babcock to be the head coach of their AHL affiliate Cincinnati Mighty Ducks.On May 25, 2001 the Ducks named Bryan Murray their new head coach. On April 19, 2002, the Ducks announced that President/General Manager Pierre Gauthier was being relieved of his duties. On April 29, 2002 the Ducks announced a multi-year extension of their affiliation agreement with Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. On May 2, 2002 the Ducks promoted Bryan Murray to senior vice president and general manager. On May 22, 2002 Murray tapped Mike Babcock on the shoulder and appointed him to be the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. On June 22, 200 Murray named Chuck Fletcher director of hockey operations. Then, on August 19, 2002 Uncle Bryan named nephew Tim Murray player personnel director for the Anaheim Ducks. On August 15, 2003, Bryan Murray extended the contracts of Head Coach Mike Babcock, assistant coaches Lorne Henning & Paul MacLean, as well as goaltending consultant Francois Allaire to one-year contract extensions. Mike Babcock led Anaheim to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2003 before moving to Detroit. He won the 2008 cup with the Red Wings. Babcock also led the Ducks to another finals appearance in 2009 and lost to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Babcock also has led the Canadian national team to a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and in the 2014 Sochi games.
Then on June 8, 2004 the winds of change started howling through Orange County. The Ducks named Al Coates Interim GM, replacing Senior Vice President/GM Bryan Murray, who had accepted the head coaching position with the Ottawa Senators. Tim Murray remained with the Ducks as their Director of scouting.
In February 2005, Henry and Susan Samueli reached an agreement to buy the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim from the Walt Disney Company. On June 20, 2005 the Samuelis officially assumed ownership of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. On June 20, 2005 Samueli name Michael Shulman Chief Executive Officer, Brian Burke executive vice president and general manager, Tim Ryan executive vice president and chief operating officer, Bob Wagner senior vice president and chief marketing officer, and Mike O’Donnell as senior vice president and general manager (of the Arrowhead Pond). On July 14, 2005 Burke named Bob Murray senior vice president of hockey operations. On August 1, 2005 Burke hired Randy Carlyle to guide the Anaheim Ducks as their new head coach.
The shrewd moves of the Samuelis and Burke paid off in 2007 when the Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup
Anything Toronto can offer to Babcock, Buffalo can do better. Much better.
MLSE is one dimensional in that it can print money at will. The Leafs can offer Babcock money. A lot of money. They will have to over-compensate with money to cover up the fact that the Dave Nonis left the cupboards bare. Babcock will get a wee smidgen of say-so in player personnel matters. But, no Studs in the AHL or in NCAA ranks. No Dylan Larkin, nor Anthony Mantha. No Gustav Nyquist, no Tomas Jurco, Tomas Tartar, Riley Sheahan, no Xavier Oullete, nor Alex Marchenko.
Buffalo has won just 40 games out of 164 in the past two seasons of the tear-it-down-to-the-studs-to-build-it-back-up-rebuild. Much better days lie ahead for the Sabres. The pain, suffering and anxiety have dissipated. The same cannot be said of the Toronto Maple Leafs whose rebuild may take them btil the year 2020 to complete. Babcock won’t sit around and wait for four years until the Toronto Maple Leafs get their act together. Babcock is 51 years old and in his coaching prime time. He has won two Olympic gold medals and a Stanley Cup championship. He’s made the NHL playoffs for all tens seasons of his illustrious career in Detroit. Prior to his Detroit success, he guided the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Western Conference Finals in 2002-03.
If Murray lands Babcock it will be a coup. However, if he loses out on the opportunity to woo him to Buffalo to say Toronto, Philly, San Jose or Boston, Murray will immediately shift his laser pointer-like focus to his great friend and former head coach Luke Richardson who is still the bench boss in AHL Binghampton. Murray will do his exhaustive coaching search. He doesn't have a timeline to complete his search. I'm told that he wants to speak with Babcock, Todd McClellan (if he is fired from San Jose), Richardson, and Guy Boucher among others. I was told Tuesday that Randy Carkyle may even get an interview. Murray won't rest until he finds his next head coach. He, like millions of Sabres, will be praying for a quick, first-round exit for the Tampa Lightning.
Never rule out the power of Terry Pegula’s insatiable appetite to win in business. People called him crazy for trying to perfect his method for extracting natural gas and oil from rock deep below the earth's surface. He's a patient man. He's not afraid to take roads less traveled. He's a risk taker and a multi-billion dollar deal maker.
Pegula has perfected the fracking method. He wants to win a Stanley Cup or three. He said it in 2012 and he meant it. Pegula wants to win “Cups… in Buffalo. Having to pay Babcock in excess of $25 million guarantee will only be an opportunity cost or cost of doing business. Pegula just paid in excess of $1 billion for the Buffalo Bills. He and his leadership and management spared no expense in landing Rex Ryan as his next head coach to guide the Bills to a Super Bowl championship in the near future. Ryan had other opportunities in other NHL cities, however, Pegula switch-pitched him and closed him on building a winning legacy in Buffalo.
Murray said Sunday that in a perfect world, his next head coach will have a great relationship with him. He also said that he would have to have open communication with his next head coach. Mike Babcock is the perfect man for the Buffalo job.