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Photo courtesy of Freestyle Photography & Hockey Canada

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MONTREAL -- Mike Babcock was officially named head coach of Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team, Thursday.

"This is an exciting time for our country. To have the opportunity to be an Olympian is something I've thought about lots as a kid growing up," said Babcock, a graduate of ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ who played defence for the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Redmen from 1983 to 1987. "I'm very excited and humbled. As much as the Stanley Cup is exciting, any time you have a chance to play for your country, it's a whole new level of exciting."

He will become the third member of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ hockey program to graduate to a coaching position with an Olympic team. The first to do so was former Redmen mentor Ken Tyler, who coached Austria at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. The other is Peter Smith, head coach of the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Martlets, who won gold as an assistant coach with the Canadian women’s team at the 2006 Turin Games and will serve as an assistant at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

"I was looking for someone who will encourage the team to play the way I envision the Canadian national team to play," said Steve Yzerman, executive director of the Canadian men’s team.Ìý "We have a vision of how the Olympic team will play, and I'm certain Mike is the guy to take the reins."

Yzerman also announced on Thursday that Babcock will be supported by associate coaches Jacques Lemaire (formerly with the Minnesota Wild), Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres) and Ken Hitchcock (Columbus Blue Jackets).

"Some of these men up here with me, I've idolized for a long time," said Babcock of his support staff, making Jacques Lemaire a case in point. "Look at Jacques, how many cups is that?"

Babcock, 46, will be leading a Canadian national team for the third time. He guided Canada to gold medals at both the 1997 IIHF world junior championship in Switzerland and the 2004 IIHF world championship in the Czech Republic. He is the only head coach to lead Canada to gold medals at those two events and has been to three Stanley Cup finals as a coach, winning the Cup with Detroit in 2008.

"The vision of how our team and the way we think Canadian hockey should be played … is a 200-foot game where guys play both ways, with total pressure on offence and on defence," said Babcock, who has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the Red Wings, leading that team to four consecutive 50-win seasons. He also coached the Anaheim Ducks from 2002-05, reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2003.

Born in Manitouwadge, Ont., and raised in Saskatoon, Sask., he played two seasons in the WHL followed by four years at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ (1983 to 1987), where he served as team captain and was twice named as team MVP while earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education (1986).

Since his coaching career began in 1988, Babcock has compiled an 825-565-127 overall record in 1,517 games, including a 282-139-71 mark in six National Hockey League seasons.

"One of the most exciting times for me as a Canadian, a coach in the National Hockey League is when we go into Vancouver. When they sing the national anthem in Vancouver and the fans join in, that's a special thing when you are standing on the bench as a coach and they get going in that building," said Babcock.

"I can't even imagine how it's going to be the first game in there (during the Olympics) and how exciting it's going to be."

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SOURCE:

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Earl Zukerman

Communications Officer

Athletics & Recreation

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514-398-7012 (Tel.)

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FOR VIDEO CLIPS OF THE TEAM CANADA ANNOUNCEMENT, MADE AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN MONTREAL, PLEASE CLICK ON LINKS BELOW.

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