Replacing Babcock as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs is Toronto Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe.
With a new head coach at the helm, the Leafs are looking to turn this season around, especially after losing six straight games.
It was a shocking move – partly because when Babcock wasn’t fired after the Pittsburgh game, it seemed like he’d at least get the road trip to figure it out – but not one that was totally unexpected.
Babcock has long seemed to be on a different wavelength from the analytics heavy Maple Leafs management team, and a parting of the ways seemed inevitable.