Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

Did Mike Babcock coach against his future employer tonight?

Maybe, maybe not — he's too busy with the present to think about much about it.

Babcock is in the last year of his contract, entering what will mark a decade behind the Red Wings' bench. If there is to be an 11th year and beyond, Babcock wants that settled either before the Oct. 9 start of the regular season, or after the 2014-15 season.

"I don't think it's going to be my final year here," Babcock said this morning. "If it is, it is. But I've tried to live my whole life in the present, and so what happened yesterday doesn't matter. What we're doing today does matter."

General manager Ken Holland told the Free Press he hopes to sit down with Babcock this week and talk contract specifics.

Babcock — whose coaching resume includes a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medals — would be a hot commodity if he's available next spring, and Toronto — center of the hockey universe — would be a logical fit for a man who enjoys being challenged. Pittsburgh has always been bandied about because of Babcock's relationship with superstar Sidney Crosby.

Challenges, though, don't require a fresh location.

"I think sometimes the challenge when you've been here a long time," Babcock said, "is it's that much harder to reinvent yourself, to go outside and cross-pollinate information. I spend way more time trying to meet CEOs of other companies and try to take it into our own business. I hire new people. We've had lots of changes in our coaching staff. We've got lots of new ideas for our staff this year, which I think is important.

"But I also think if you embrace life-long learning, then that's what you're doing, anyway. Whether that be here or somewhere else, I'd be doing exactly the same thing that way. But my relationship with my general manager is such that the grass isn't greener on the other side. So I imagine that will get worked out."

Babcock and Holland had tentative plans to discuss an extension during training camp in Traverse City, but time never presented itself. Exhibition games don't count in the standings, but they do count up man-hours.

"Any coach will tell you," Babcock said, "exhibition season is the hardest time of the year because you've got so many players. It's always a rush."

Babcock is among the higher-echelon paid coaches in the NHL, at around $2 million, but colleagues such as Chicago's Joel Quenneville make more. Given his credentials — Babcock was a finalist for the Jack Adams coach of the year trophy last season — he can certainly make an argument for a raise, and team owner Mike Ilitch isn't the type to skimp.

The relationship between a coach in pro sports and his players isn't usually one that's warm and fuzzy. What players like about Babcock are his results: More winning than losing.

"He's extremely prepared," Niklas Kronwall said. "He always makes sure that we try to be as fresh as possible. Didn't try to run anybody into the ground. It's been good."

The biggest factor in whether Babcock coaches on in Detroit may well be whether he wants to do so. He's at a point in his life where, with all three children done with high school, he isn't worried about rushing that decision.

"It would make way more difference to me if I was just starting in the business and I was concerned about feeding my family," Babcock said. "I'm not."

Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.