Babcock officially joins Blue Jackets as head coach after nearly 4 years out of NHL

Mike Babcock is back in the NHL with the Columbus Blue Jackets, confident he has evolved as a coach in his nearly four years out of a pro job.

The 2008 Stanley Cup-winning coach with Detroit finally took over Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, introduced as the person the organization's brass believes is the right fit for a team looking to win again. Now 3 1/2 years removed from being fired by Toronto and word emerging about some of his polarizing old-school tactics, Babcock sounded like someone who has learned from his time in the college ranks and is ready to adjust to modern players.

"Change in all of us takes time," Babcock said at a news conference streamed on Zoom. "I think what this has done is given me a chance to get outside my body and have a look and see what I'm doing and understand you needed to change, you needed to grow."

Babcock returns to the NHL following the end of his lengthy contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who fired him early in his fifth season with them in 2019.

President of hockey operations John Davidson said he spoke to recently elected Hall of Fame coach Ken Hitchcock about the Blue Jackets' vacancy.

"He said, 'There's only one guy to hire,"' Davidson recalled and Hitchcock confirmed by text Saturday. "I said, `Who are you thinking?' He says, `Mike Babcock."'

Babcock, who also made trips to the Cup Final with Anaheim in 2003 and Detroit in 2009 and guided Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, gives the Blue Jackets an accomplished veteran behind the bench to oversee their attempt to become a contender again in the Eastern Conference.

"We're convinced that we got the best coach for the job," Kekalainen said. "His coaching achievements talk for themselves. Everybody knows that. But I'm