Detroit — Mike Babcock and his former players agree, it was time for him to move on.
But their respect for him is clear. And he made his respect for them plain as he stood before the media last spring as the new coach of the Maple Leafs, who are in town for an exhibition today and who come back for the Red Wings home opener Oct. 9.
Coaches and players do not always get along. In some ways, the nature of the relationship suggests they will not.
It is fairly autocratic.
He decides how much ice time they get, regardless of Babcock’s protestations they make the decision based on the way they play.