If you put $100 on Mike Babcock being the first coach to get fired this season, you’ve made yourself a very nice return.
The struggling Maple Leafs somewhat surprisingly decided to pull the plug on their $50-million coach. While there had been plenty of frustration directed at Babcock starting last spring and into this season, I don’t know if anyone figured he would have been fired in November. But here we are.
This situation is somewhat like the one with Joel Quenneville last year. When the Blackhawks pulled the plug on Coach Q, he became one of the most coveted free agents on the open market.