Mike Babcock

You know, what's interesting is I arrived at Redditor College and, you know, I'd just been a player coach overseas.

I didn't know what I was doing, really.

But there was a guy named Perry Pern, who coached Nate in R&D.

Rob didn't do still everything he does because he knows what he's doing and you don't.

And one of my captains, Brent DeVoe, was here today at this press conference from Red Deer College, so I was thankful for that.

Then I went to major junior, and you get kicked around a bit, and you got to figure out how to do things.

When I got the job at the UofL and so few guys showed up the first practice, I thought, oh, we're in trouble here.

But it was the most fun I've ever had coaching in my life.

We had a great team and a great bunch of guys, and we got better every day.

We had good goaltending.

I remember when we first got our first road win.

I remember when we beat U of A on the road.

All these little steps that had never happened in the U of L. But for us to win the national championship that year, that's what set me up to get the job in Spokane and really get my career going.

And, you know, I worked for a great owner in Bobby Brett and Tim Spouts there and got a chance to coach the World Juniors.

So that's where you got momentum.

And I don't care who you are.

If you haven't won, you don't know how to win.

But once you win, you think you have a formula.

And, you know, I was lucky that happened early, so you ended up having lots and lots of success.

As you know, it's almost impossible to win.