Red Wings’ Babcock Officially Named Canadian Olympic Coach

Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock was officially announced as the head coach for the 2010 Canadian Olympic men’s ice hockey team Thursday.

Reports that Babcock would be given the job surfaced Tuesday but the choice seemed inevitable after Wings’ vice president Steve Yzerman was named executive director of the Canadian team.

“To have the opportunity to be an Olympian is something I’ve thought about lots as a kid growing up, something very special,” Babcock said during a press conference in Montreal. “As much as the Stanley Cup is unbelievably exciting, any chance you have to be involved in something for your country, there’s a whole new level of special.”

Babcock will be joined behind the bench by Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff, Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock, and former Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire.

Babcock has had success at the international level with Canada, coaching their 1997 World Junior Championship and 2004 World Championship teams to gold medals.