Babcock: 'I feel bad' for Sabres but had no deal in place
The Sabres swung and missed on Mike Babcock on Wednesday, when Babcock agreed to a massive deal with the Maple Leafs, and they're moving on to Plan B in their search for a new coach.
But before Babcock was able to completely move on to his new gig in Toronto, he was asked at his introductory press conference Thursday to address reports that the Sabres were "livid" with the way he handled negotiations with the team, allegedly backing out after agreeing to a contract and having a press conference tentatively scheduled.
Babcock claimed that he had never actually agreed to a contract with Sabres owner Terry Pegula, instead saying that the two sides had discussed only the framework (money and length, specifically) of what a deal would look like.
"We went back and forth so many times," Babcock said of his talks with the Sabres. "If you think Terry Pegula isn't a star, you are mistaken."
He also shook off accusations that he lied to anyone in the Buffalo organization at any point of the process, presumably in regards to the speculation that he simply used the Sabres as leverage in order to negotiate his record-setting eight-year contract with the Leafs worth a reported $50 million.
"That 'lying' word's an interesting word for me," Babcock told the assembled media. "I've been real straightforward and honest in the process with all the teams I talked to. I worked for six years in Spokane and 10 years in Detroit. As a head coach, you don't work in places for a long time unless you have good relationships and treat people with respect."
He added, "If they don't like what happened in the process, I feel bad about that."
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
