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Frank Corrado shares abuse received from Mike Babcock
Mike Babcock, the former head coach of the NHL, was a great hockey player at every level, winning gold at the Olympics, the Stanley Cup, the IIHF World Junior Championship, and other honors with his teams. Babcock was finally kicked out of the league due to the manner he handled his players, which attracted the attention of the media.
Frankie Corrado, a former defenseman for the Leafs, recently spoke with the Athletic and called Babcock a harsh boss.
After Vancouver put Corrado on waivers, Toronto grabbed him in October 2015. The prospect of working with Babcock thrilled Corrado.
«I have no idea who you are,» Corrado remembers Babcock telling him when they first met. He told Corrado to meet him at his office at the Leafs training facility the next day at 8 a.m. Corrado arrived early and knocked on Babcock's door, but the coach told him he didn't have time to see him. Corrado waited for an hour and a half, but Babcock never made time for him.
Corrado saw little ice time with the Leafs over the next few weeks, spending most games as a healthy scratch. But during practices, Babcock would quietly instruct him to go first in drills, so he'd have to push past star players in line. Corrado felt Babcock was attempting to «sewer» him with his teammates.
Corrado said he later experienced panic attacks and threw up regularly before games because of anxiety, which he never experienced before playing for Babcock.
«It was cruel. It went on way too long and it did way too much damage to me,» he said. «I think he loves f—ing with people's heads. I really do.»
Corrado saw little ice time with the Leafs over the next few weeks, spending most games as a healthy scratch. But during practices, Babcock would quietly instruct him to go first in drills, so he'd have to push past star players in line. Corrado felt Babcock was attempting to «sewer» him with his teammates.
Corrado said he later experienced panic attacks and threw up regularly before games because of anxiety, which he never experienced before playing for Babcock.
«It was cruel. It went on way too long and it did way too much damage to me,» he said. «I think he loves f—ing with people's heads. I really do.»
This is only one of numerous instances of Babcock mistreating his players that exist.
Johan Franzen, a former forward for the Redwings, said that Babcock had verbally abused him several times. Years later, NHL legend Chris Chelios corroborated this on a Spittin' Chiclets podcast.
«[Franzen] was hurt at the time of the playoffs, we lost to Nashville...and some of the things he said to him on the bench,» Chelios said. «I don't know what he said to him behind closed doors — but he was blatantly verbally assaulting him during the game.
«It got to the point for Johan — no one really knew he was suffering with the concussion and depression — he just broke down and had a nervous breakdown. Not only on the bench, but after the game, into the rooms in Nashville. That was probably the worst thing that I've ever seen.»»
«It got to the point for Johan — no one really knew he was suffering with the concussion and depression — he just broke down and had a nervous breakdown. Not only on the bench, but after the game, into the rooms in Nashville. That was probably the worst thing that I've ever seen.»»
While Babcock may have been a successful coach during his time. It was ultimately his character and personality that are the reasons that he will never be behind an NHL bench again.
| POLL | ||
MAI 31 | 116 ANSWERS Frank Corrado shares abuse received from Mike Babcock Do you think Mike Babcock will coach in the NHL again? | ||
| No chance after the last incident | 89 | 76.7 % |
| Yes, they always recycle the dinosaur coaches | 27 | 23.3 % |
| List of polls | ||