Wings Drop Lewis

With the NHL Lockout coming to an end, the Detroit Red Wings have decided not to
renew Dave Lewis' contract after just two seasons of being the Red Wings head coach. With Lewis out, the Red Wings are seriously going after Mike Babcock. Babcock has been the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' head coach for the past two seasons.

I fully understand why the Red Wings are not going to resign Lewis. In his first year as the Wings coach the Wings could not even get past the first round of the playoffs (they lost to Babcock's Ducks). In his second year with the Wings they lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Calgary Flames. The Red Wings are like the Yankees of hockey, anything less than a championship every year is unacceptable. When Lewis was handed the reigns, he inherited a team that was ready to compete for the Stanley Cup. He did not have to build up the team because the pieces were already in place. His failure to get the Wings deep into the playoffs is what cost him his job. He has been coaching, as a head or assistant coach, in Detroit since 1987.

Although I agree with Lewis not being resigned, I am not sure if I exactly agree with the Wings going after Babcock. I know he came within one game of the Stanley Cup a few years back, but what else has he really done? Last season the Ducks did not even make the playoffs and they have a below 500 record (in the regular season) with Babcock as their head coach. He coming to Detroit might be a big risk, but we just have to wait and see. I am not the biggest hockey fan in the world so maybe I am completely wrong. Hopefully it will work out if they sign him (which appears as if they will sign him).

The only way we can tell if his signing was a good one, is how well the Wings perform under his coaching.