Being an NHL head coach is no easy job, let alone being the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both a blessing and a curse, Mike Babcock seems to be handling the job fairly well, considering his relationship with the media.
Coming in as one of the most successful coaches in Canadian history, the pressure on Babcock was somewhat proportional to the weight Atlas carried on his shoulders. Nevertheless, it’s something he shrugged off rather easily with the unexpectedly successful 2016 – 2017 campaign.
What followed were 2 consecutive playoff campaigns that ended in the first round, both hard-fought defeats.