UNews - Stanley Cup

Babcock brings Olympic moment home

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:53:26 +0000

To hear Mike Babcock tell the story, he's been extremely fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Another way to look at it is because of Babcock's presence, it became the right time.

Babcock, a self-professed dreamer and one of hockey's most accomplished coaches, shared his philosophy on coaching and on life at the 1st Annual Calgary Alumni & Friends Dinner in early March. He says it's no accident that good things come from people who think big.

"I'm a big believer that if you don't dream, you cap your potential. I'm 46 now but I haven't stopped dreaming," says Babcock. "To me, the greatest part about living is that you are in charge of that dream, you're not in bed at night with your eyes closed, you're actually living that dream, you can make a difference in that dream and you can decide where it's going to go."

Babcock, who coached the 1993-94 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team to the institution's first national championship, has gone on to experience success at every level. He recently led the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team to a gold medal at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Along the way he's won a World Junior title, a Men's World Championship gold medal and a Stanley Cup, and yet he consistently refers to the U of L triumph as one of his most satisfying accomplishments.

"I still look at that ring fondly," he says.

Then, while showing the packed ballroom at The Westin Calgary a picture of himself enjoying a Stanley Cup celebration with the Detroit Red Wings, he adds, "When I look at that picture, if you think that was any more exciting at the time than winning that national championship at the U of L, you're mistaken, it's just all what you're prepared for at that time in your life."

If Babcock is anything, he is true to his roots. When speaking about building relationships he is honest and genuine, and is eager to share his successes.

"What he preaches he believes," says Trevor Ellerman (BMgt '94), a forward from the 1993-94 championship team. "I've talked to him every couple of years since then and what he's saying he absolutely believes, and when you call him up and you need something, he goes out of his way to make it happen."

Babcock is the first to admit he's not a polished public speaker, saying he's much more comfortable talking to 20 players in a dressing room setting. That seemed to endear him even more to the 450-plus people at the event. His stories of interacting with Canada's Olympic heroes, both on and off the ice, took everyone inside the experience, but he was quick to bring the star gazing into perspective.

"Every once in a while, in life you don't know why you are blessed, you don't know why you have an opportunity to go to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and set yourself up for the future or why your kids are healthy or why someone just reached out and touched you," says Babcock. "Sometimes I don't even know what I do, I've just been really fortunate."

Understanding he has the ability to influence change, he looks to use his celebrity in a positive way.

"I tell our players every day, we have a chance, with the notoriety we've been given, with the game, to make a difference in the world," says Babcock. "It's an amazing thing if you're willing to step up and make a difference and to me that's what dreaming is all about."

Concluding his presentation with a photo of himself hoisting the Stanley Cup, flanked by his family on a dock at his lakeside summer residence in Saskatchewan, Babcock summarized his philosophy.

"The thing I think is really important is that unless you have someone to share these things with, it doesn't much matter," he says.

"In the end, that's what it is about," he continues. "The things that are special for Mike Babcock about being from western Canada are these things, grassroots things, being around real people, trying to make a difference, standing up for what you believe in, sharing yourself and building relationships, so you have someone to talk to as you get older."

BABCOCK QUOTES

• On campaigning for the Olympic head coaching position with Red Wings vice-president Steve Yzerman, the Olympic team general manager. "I wanted to be the coach of this team and I made it very clear to Steve Yzerman. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing because when you work with a guy, sometimes, it's kind of like your wife, she knows you pretty well and she doesn't like you sometimes."

• On why Canada's Olympic team members are successful. "Everyone thinks they're the best because of their skill level but the real super, super, superstars in the game are great because of soul. They've got something more than everybody else, they've got a way to reach out and make the people around them better, they've got something they dig down and get when it matters, they get on their toes and go after people and they do it night after night."

• On the strength of family to the Olympic players. "They've got something special about them and then when you meet their parents and their families at these tournaments, it's not hard to figure out why they are so successful, because they surround themselves with great people and their parents have built a fantastic foundation for them."

• On the Olympic village. "To sit in the village and to watch the athletes come in, some absolutely elated and some absolutely crushed, it was an experience I'll never forget. Just being around passionate people fired up about their country, I thought was truly inspiring to our players."

• On Sidney Crosby, who scored the Olympic winning goal for Canada. "I can't even imagine, at 22 years of age, the amount of pressure this kid is under, but he was fantastic and he delivered for us."

• On being a proud Canadian. "Winning was unbelievable but the bringing together of Canadians and Canadians showing their pride was something that will always stand out for me."

Well-grounded, well-rounded

trevor.kenney — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:10:44 +0000

We think we know Mike Babcock by who we see on our television screens. He comes off as a steely-eyed competitor, a taskmaster who pushes and prods his players to strive for an on-ice perfection that, by the nature of the game, is unattainable. In the end, we see a hockey coach and a man who has won at virtually every level of the sport – a champion.

That Mike Babcock is for public consumption. He is the button-down, blazer-wearing Stanley Cup champion and coach of Canada's 2010 Canadian Olympic Men's Hockey Team. He is just a sliver of the true Mike Babcock. For as much as Babcock strives to be at the pinnacle of his sport, his upbringing and family values tell him that true success is measured off the ice.

"My wife always laughs — she sees me wearing a suit behind the bench and wonders who that is because I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt and ball hat most of the summer; I'm just like everybody else," says Babcock. "It's just that when people see me, they have me in that different light – my kids don't know who that guy is, either."

That guy is the one who never saw himself as a hockey coach but rather an academic and educator. He's the guy who resurrected a seemingly stalled coaching career by rejuvenating an on-the-ropes hockey program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and guided the Pronghorns to an unlikely 1994 national title.

"I never dreamed I was going to be a coach in the first place. I thought I was going to be in the college world the rest of my life. I thought I'd go on and get a PhD and teach," says Babcock, who has an undergraduate education degree and graduate degree in sports psychology from McGill ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. "I liked being in the college environment. I thought it'd be a great job to be around young, excited people getting better and going places. I thought I'd always be a part of that."

After previously taking Red Deer College to a national final, Babcock accepted a coaching challenge at the U of L. The 1993-94 Pronghorns were not considered a championship contender. The program itself was in trouble and faced the prospect of being cut from the U of L athletic landscape. The Horns had never made the playoffs or even finished a season above the .500 mark.

"When I came to the U of L I had a pretty strong belief in how I thought hockey should be played and what we needed to do to have success; we instilled that from day one," says Babcock.

"I believe there's a right way to play the game and there's a right way to approach life, and I tell that to my kids all the time. I'm not a very cautious person; I'm not a very careful person. I believe in living and getting the most out of every day, and I believe that's also how you play the game."

It's a philosophy that has stood the test of time. Following his one-year stint with the Horns, Babcock guided the Spokane Chiefs for six seasons, twice advancing to the WHL championship series. In 1997, he led Canada to a World Junior Championship gold medal. Two years later, after a brief stop in the American Hockey League, he was coaching the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the National Hockey League. In his first season he took the Ducks to the Stanley Cup final and in the five years since, he's been to two more Cup finals with the Detroit Red Wings, capturing hockey's Holy Grail in 2007-08.

"You have to get better each and every year if you're going to be successful in all walks of life," he says. "It's all about lifelong learning. The things I did at the U of L, technically I might not do anymore, but believing in people and getting them to work hard, to commit to one another and to the team are exactly the same things we talk about today in Detroit."

With the 2010 Olympic opportunity just around the bend, Babcock's approach will not vary. Why would it?

"What a great thing, eh? I'm excited like you can't believe. It's a dream come true to have the chance to be an Olympian," Babcock says, relishing the expectations of, and pressure from, a nation of rabid hockey fans.

"The reason we have expectations is because we have a chance. The tournament now is going to be closer than it's ever been, everybody has a chance to win; we're just big believers that we're going to find a way to get it done. I don't know exactly how we're going to do that, I just know we are."

It's been 15 years since Babcock guided the U of L Horns to that national title, and while everything around him has changed, he still sees himself essentially as the man he was in the fall of 1993, hunting in the foothills every day following practice, looking after his family and striving to be a better person and coach.

"I've always been a little fearful of not being good enough, so that gives me a little bit of drive to try and be better," says Babcock.

Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., Babcock spent much of his childhood in the Northwest Territories, where his father worked as a mining engineer. When Babcock was 12, his family moved to Saskatoon, Sask., where his father still lives today. In the off-season, it's also the area where Babcock, his wife and three children call home.

"I want my kids to be grounded," says Babcock. "My kids are growing up different than I did, but in saying that, we're hoping to raise really good people who are confident and who are going to be difference-makers in the world. That's how my mom spoke to me, and that's how I speak to my kids."

He lost his mother to cancer in 1992, but the lessons she taught still resonate with him today. They are part of the values with which he raises his family and that he also takes to the rink.

"I always say I learned to work hard from my dad, and I learned to talk to people from my mom," says Babcock.

His growth as a coach has garnered the respect of the hockey world and allowed him to work with the most talented players and personalities in the game. Still, despite his rise in professional status, he manages to stay true to the principles by which he was raised.

"It's been a work in progress, and I like to think that I keep getting better, and I'm going to be a better coach next year than I was last year," says Babcock. "You have to be in a constant stage of development if you want to be the best you can be.

"Am I still the same person? I'd sure like to think so. I tell people all the time, the measure of me as a man isn't going to be about the number of games I win, it's going to be about the family I raise."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Members Receive Keys to the City

trevor.kenney — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:46:39 +0000

Several individuals and community organizations with 'key' connections to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will receive the City of Lethbridge's highest honour on Friday, July 10 – the keys to the city.

"This recognition is well deserved for all these recipients who, from many different walks of life, serve their community in a variety of ways," U of L President Bill Cade said. "These awards also show the remarkable connections – and affect – the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has on the community. Our congratulations go out to the entire group, in particular our employees, alumni and friends who are honoured."

Recipients include Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004), a respected Native American Studies professor and researcher, U of L Alumnus, Honorary degree recipient and Distinguished Alumnus of the year (2003); Darcy Novakowski, an award-winning author and the Faculty of Education's communications coordinator; and Brigadier-General (Ret) Raymond Romses (BASc 1975), a distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2005) who has returned to Lethbridge following a varied career in the Canadian military which included directing several UN-sponsored missions, the command of CFB Calgary and Land Forces Atlantic area, among others. A complete list of recipients is outlined below.

The "Key to the City" is a gift made by a city to a visiting dignitary or deserving resident. The key represents the city's welcome of the visitor by, symbolically, placing the city at the visitor's disposal.

The practice of giving a key may be traced back to medieval times, when admission into a city was hampered walls and locked gates. Possession of the key symbolized free entry. In Lethbridge, the act of giving a key to the city is symbolic only, since the city has no gates to unlock.

Keys 1 to 4
Shirley McPherson, Chris Wilson, Shirley Kohuch and Diane Foster, playing out of the Lethbridge Curling Club, won the 2008 World Senior Ladies Championships in Vierumäki, Finland.

Key 5 - Darcy Tamayose Novakowski
Darcy received a literary award from the Canada Council for the Arts for her first novel, Odori. This award recognizes literary excellence by Canadian authors writing on Japan, Japanese themes or themes that promote mutual understanding between Canada and Japan. Darcy also wrote and illustrated an art exhibit, Riding Back and the Sacred Circle, which travelled throughout the Alberta School system encouraging the understanding of the Blackfoot culture. Her latest work Katie Be Quiet is targeted at youth.

Key 6 - Del Allen
Del is a well-known businessman and philanthropist. He was chosen Lethbridge Citizen of the Year for 2008 in appreciation for his work with groups as diverse as the Boys and Girls Club, the Third Academy, the Lethbridge Food Bank, the Royal Canadian Legion, Ducks Unlimited, the Lethbridge College and the City's Bright Lights Committee. Del's most recent achievement is convincing CP Rail to allow the lighting of the historical High Level Bridge to celebrate it's Centennial and then being pivotal to getting such a large task ready to go this coming fall.

Key 7 - Vic Stasiuk
Vic was recently inducted into the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame in honour of his commitment to the game of hockey. He enjoyed an NHL career with important roles in the line-ups of the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. Vic played 745 NHL games, scoring 183 goals and 437 points. Thanks to his time with the Red Wings, he sports a very impressive Stanley Cup ring. After his playing career ended, Vic enjoyed a long coaching career in both the NHL (including a stint with the Vancouver Canucks) and the minor leagues.

Key 8 – Lethbridge Iron Works
John and Bart Davies are accepting a key on behalf of Lethbridge Iron Works.
The company was recently included in a book entitled "Little Empires" (written by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge professors M. Gordon Hunter and Dan Kazakoff) which highlighted the value of Lethbridge's long-standing inter-generational corporate citizens to the community. Lethbridge Iron Works is a fourth generation family business, more than a century old. Like the family which operates the foundry, several generations of Lethbridge families have earned their living through the foundry in that length of time. The foundry is modern, automated, safety-oriented, high-production and known for quality.

Key 9 – Leroy Littlebear
Dr. Leroy Littlebear (BASc 1972, DASc 2004) was recently awarded the first-ever "Lifetime Achievement Award" presented by the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge. That award recognized a lifetime of achievement in education and politics, in giving back to the community and advocating for youth and families. Leroy was instrumental in developing the Native American Studies department at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which he chaired for 21 years. He is also the founding Director of Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Native American program, a U of L Distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2003) and an Honorary Degree recipient (2004). Leroy contributed to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in the area of criminal justice, and for the Assembly of First Nations on constitutional issues. He is considered one of North America's leaders in Indian philosophy.

Key 10 – Raymond Romses
Retired Brigadier-General Romses (BASc 1975) was awarded the 2005 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award for exceptional professional achievements and service to Canadians. He served on a variety of operational tours and appointments, including two tours with the UN Force in Cyprus, a tour with NATO Stabilization Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a tour with the UN Force in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Romses's service in Canada included command of the First Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Joint Task Force Two – Canada's counter-terrorism unit; Canadian Forces Base Calgary; and the Land Force Atlantic Area. His leadership abilities have resulted in his progression to the most senior ranks of the Canadian Forces, but his illustrious military career all began with the Army Cadets in Lethbridge.

UNews - Stanley Cup

Babcock brings Olympic moment home

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Well-grounded, well-rounded

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��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Members Receive Keys to the City