Since becoming Detroit’s head coach, the Red Wings have made playoffs every year. Babcock has led the Red Wings to back-to-back 50-plus win seasons, earning a Presidents' Trophy in 2005-06 with 58 wins, and setting a new NHL record with 31 road victories, passing the mark previously set by New Jersey (28 wins) during 1998-99. Entering his fifth season as an NHL head coach, he has compiled an impressive 177-97-54 record. In 2006-07, he coached the Red Wings back to the Western Conference finals, the first time the club had reached the final four since 2002. 
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rThe 44 year old native of Saskatoon, SK is part of an exclusive group of NHL head coaches that have led their respective clubs to back-to-back 50-win campaigns. Prior to joining the Red Wings, Babcock spent two seasons with the Anaheim Ducks where he led the Ducks to their first ever Stanley Cup finals appearance and became the first rookie coach to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since 1996.
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rBabcock’s coaching abilities has also earned him the honor of coaching for his country on the International stage twice thus far in his career.  To date, Babcock is the only Canadian coach to serve as bench boss for the both the World Junior Championships team (1997) and senior World Championship team (2004).
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rPrior to his NHL coaching debut with Anaheim, Babcock spent two seasons as head coach of the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL where the team qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs each season while he was behind the bench.
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rPrior to his short AHL, Babcock began his coaching career in the WHL as the Head Coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors in 1991. He coached in the friendly city for two seasons where he helped develop such well known Warriors' alumni as Ryan Smyth, Curtis Brown, Jason Fitzsimmons and Scott Allison. In fact, as bench boss for the Moose Jaw Warriors, Babcock coaching abilities helped 7 Warriors get discovered and selected in the NHL Entry draft. In 1993, Babcock ventured into University athletics by becoming head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns where he led the Pronghorns to a national championship and was named Coach of the Year. Babcock returned to the WHL as head coach of the Spokane Chiefs one year later. Babcock had a successful six-year run as the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs (1994-95 through 1999-2000).  While with Spokane, he had a regular season record of 224-175-29 and was named WHL Coach of the Year in both 1996 and 2000. 

 

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As a young man, Babcock played in the WHL beginning with his hometown Saskatoon Blades (1980-81) and finishing as the captain of the Kelowna Wings (1982-83). Following his WHL playing career,  Babcock went on to play four years at McGill University (1983-87) where he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and attended graduate school in sports psychology.

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