On this day, just like many before, Mike Babcock’s voice looms over everyone on the ice at Maple Leafs practice. He has not lost any of the vigour that he displayed 30 years ago when he was coaching at Red Deer College. I commented to a media colleague standing next to me during practice on Wednesday that if you could bottle up the energy that flows through the Toronto coach you’d make a killing. It’s exhausting sometimes just watching him run practice, watching him speak, watching him interact. His internal battery shows no signs of losing power.



I once told a young coach who was going to meet Babcock for the first time to make sure not to waste any time with the normal greetings. When you have a chance to speak with Babcock, it’s best to get right to the point. He’s not one for idle chatter.



You can only be that way if you’re confident in your abilities, which Babcock clearly is, and if you still love what you do, and you’ll...