Detroit Red Wings Roundtable: Will you miss Mike Babcock?

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May 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan (left) and new head coach Mike Babcock share a laugh during a media conference to announce Babcock signing with the club at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Will you miss Mike Babcock? As we sit a week away from opening night and the Detroit Red Wings prepare to face Babs in their next three contests. The fan base is pretty divided in terms of how they feel, and we’ll be sure to feature the voice of fans as threw it out Twitter.

The writers and our followers weighed in. Here are the answers.

Nate Francis – Octopus Thrower Editor

I won’t–and yet I will. I once compared the Babs-Red Wings relationship one that was like a courtship flickering after being together for too long. You both want to move on–but neither person really knows how.

Apparently it takes $50 million.

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Look, the success the Red Wings had with Babcock is something 28 other teams would kill for. Sustained success, a Stanley Cup, nearly another, and never falling off despite being hampered by injury during several seasons. That’s why you loved him.

But as the seasons drew on, Babcock could make baffling decisions. And worse, there are a number of players who were not his biggest fan. If you read between the lines and look into the articles written, many Wings absolutely loved the fact that he left. To wit:

"Actually, they seem to like him mostly, even if they allow some reading between the lines that suggests life with Babcock did not always resemble Kumbaya moments around the campfire. “Obviously, it’s a big part of some of our careers; we had him for 10 years,” said Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg, who occasionally reined in his coach. “(Today) is the first time Mike comes back, but I think following Friday will be bigger. “The preparation was the first thing I noticed when he came in. Every day, practicing and before games. You knew the game plan before every game, the players. That was a step up from what I was used to before. “Just a level of competitiveness, I think, every day.” Asked to describe Babcock in a few words, Zetterberg paused and proclaimed it difficult. When it was suggested he might have trouble coming up with words polite enough for publication, he said, “That you can print?” And then he laughed, along with the media. “No, but I would just say that he is a competitive guy,” he said. “And I always come back to the preparation, the amount of hours he spent on hockey. “A lot of it was at the rink. But I don’t think that when he left the rink the off switch was off.”"

For me, I love what Babcock did for the Wings. But like anything in life, the voice goes stale, the message weakens, and the animosity increases. Unless it’s a player’s coach, a tough personality is going to grind on anyone after a while. Think about your best, but most demanding boss. Or even your parents.

I will miss the Pierre Maguire interviews the most. But like the players, I’m ready to move on and see how Blashill takes this team to a new level. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. But we can’t forget it was Babs that kept this team afloat for Blashill.

From our Fans on Twitter:

Next: Jack sums it up with two words: Hell. No.

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