DETROIT – Former Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock has been fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the announcement came from one of his former players in Detroit: Brendan Shanahan.
Shanahan, the Maple Leafs President, announced Wednesday that Sheldon Keefe will take over as coach. Shanahan played for Babcock on the 2005-06 Red Wings team that won 58 games and went to the conference quarterfinals.
In parts of five seasons under Babcock, the Maple Leafs posted a record of 173-133-45 in 351 regular-season games and an 8-12 record in three postseason appearances.
Babcock spent 10 seasons with the Red Wings from 2005-2015, posting a record of 458-223-105 in 786 career games. He led them to the 2008 Stanley Cup title and lost in the Stanley Cup finals in 2009.
The Red Wings made the playoffs in all 10 seasons of Babcock’s tenure, including five straight trips to at least the conference semifinals from 2007 to 2011.
Since his departure, the Red Wings have missed the playoffs three times and failed to win a postseason series.