One day after being introduced as the new coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mike Babcock went out of his way to thank his former team, the Detroit Red Wings.
Babcock, who signed an eight-year, $50-million contract to coach the Leafs after 10 seasons with the Red Wings, took out a full-page ad in the Friday edition of the Detroit Free Press to thank Red Wings fans for their support over the years.
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The ad reads:
“Detroit Red Wings fans,
Thank you for an amazing 10 years!
We’ll never forget the support you’ve provided us and will always cherish the memories we’ve shared together in Hockeytown.
– The Babcocks”
This heartfelt gesture shouldn’t come as a surprise. Babcock explained Thursday it was an extremely difficult decision to leave Detroit.
“It was very emotional,” Babcock said when referring to his final meeting with Red Wings GM Ken Holland. “I had to get the Kleenex box out when I sat in his office there because of what he’s done for me.”
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