Babcock Explains Disagreement Over Move Of Ouellet To Grand Rapids
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday that general manager Ken Holland overruled him on sending 21-year-old defenseman Xavier Ouellet to the Grand Rapid Griffins rather than keeping him up in Detroit.
Babcock seemed upset about Holland's decision, but Wednesday he told Stoney, Bill and Sara of 97.1 The Ticket that the disagreement did not mean friction between him and Holland, at least no more than usual.
"We go through this every single year at this time, so if it's controversy today, it'd be 10 straight years," Babcock said. "The bottom line is I'm a coach, so I'm an immediate gratification guy. I've got to win tomorrow. Ken Holland's job is to look at the big picture. I think that's why you balance each other out. But we're real comfortable here. We're both allowed to have an opinion. In the end, though, he makes that decision. That's his call. In the end, I decide who goes on the ice during the game; that's my call. So that's just part of the process.
"People on the outside can make what they want of it," Babcock continued. "This is what we go through each and every year. He's got a business to run, and that's what he's doing, and I've got a team to coach, and I want the guys that are ready to go right away. We always get through this. [Gustav] Nyquist never started on our team last year. We've been going through this, like I said, for 10 years."
With Babcock in the final year of his contract, however, the relationship between Holland and Babcock does seem to be a relevant topic. Babcock characterized the interaction as productive, however, and said he would like to remain with the Red Wings.
"I think they'd like me to stay, and I'd like to stay," Babcock said. "Ken Holland and I sit next to each other on the plane, we're around each other all the time, I heard him describe to someone the other day, we're like an old married couple. The reality is we've got lots of time. I'm not spending much time worrying about it.These things all find a way to work out. If you do a good job, good things happen."
If Babcock does remain in Detroit for years to come, he will coach the team in its new arena, which is scheduled to be ready in 2017.
"The arena's going to be great, but the revitalization of the city and the state, to me, is going to be better," Babcock said. "I really like the direction Detroit's going. I think we've got her going as good as it's been going since I've been here in 10 years ... I think this is going to be a huge impact on Detroit, and it's exciting. It's great for the Red Wings. Just the impact to recruit along, to maybe have the potential to live downtown one day, all those things to me are special things."
As for what he will miss about Joe Louis Arena, however, Babcock had a quick response.
"The bench," Babcock said. "Gordie Howe sat on that bench. Alex Delvecchio sat on that bench. Ted Lindsay sat on that bench. I'm actually hoping they move the bench. Just that chunk of wood there with all the history is special."
The Red Wings begin the regular season Thursday when they face off against the Boston Bruins.
