There is something about Game 7 that there's a memory there for you for sure. You want to be a coach or a manager or a player or a goaltender that gets it done, because to me, that's all part of sports. That's what you dream about when you're a little kid - scoring the winning goal.
Mike BabcockI'm process-orientated, and people say that about the details. But I love the players. My No. 1 job is to make them better men. My No. 2 job is to make them better at hockey, and I never confuse that. The best people I've ever been around in my life never let me get away with anything - ever. You can have all the details in the world, but if you can't communicate with people and find a way to help them help themselves, you have no chance in this league. To me, that's what the profession is about: getting guys to believe in themselves and each other.
Mike BabcockThe main thing is to race over to McDonald's to get an egg McMuffin before they shut down for the morning.
Mike BabcockWhen you don't make people accountable, it leads to a superstar mentality where not everyone on the team is important.
Mike BabcockI still talk to my mom every day and she passed away when I was 28. And I still talk to my dad. The reality is that they're with you forever; the bond continues and they're there to help you and guide you. The best coaches I ever had, the best teachers, my parents, they all made it safe for me, not by being warm and fuzzy all the time, but by loving me so much, they were willing to make me better.
Mike BabcockYou know what happens to guys? There's what I call the individual time of their career, and the team time of their career. This is the team time. You don't care about all the other stuff. You just want to live in one place, and watch your kids grow up and go to the same school. You say, 'Hey, maybe I'd better play well and be a good enough guy that they keep me.'
Mike Babcock