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The Sabres thought they had Mike Babcock. Instead, he joined their biggest rival.
It should make Toronto’s visits to Buffalo even more interesting.
The two-week courtship of Babcock ended with a stunner Wednesday when the coach agreed to an eight-year deal with the Maple Leafs worth $50 million – the same total the Sabres were reportedly offering. The Leafs will officially introduce Babcock as their 30th coach Thursday morning.
Buffalo thought it was in the driver’s seat to make Babcock their 17th coach. Contract negotiations had gone well, with folks inside the organization feeling for two days that it was close to a done deal, according to a league source.