Mike Babcock - Leave No Doubt: A Credo for Chasing Your Dreams

I consider it both an honour and privilege to write the forewordto this insightful book, Leave No Doubt, detailing the preparationand experiences that culminated in a gold medal for Canada in icehockey at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Having known Mike Babcock for over ten years, I am trulyamazed at the details and thought processes Mike chronicles inthis book. Needless to say, I came to respect him for his intensityand his thoroughness. He takes the reader through his early days asa coach, with all the trials and tribulations he encountered. Mikewould go on to become the only man to win a World Junior HockeyChampionship, a World Hockey Championship, a Stanley CupChampionship, and an Olympic Gold Medal.

Mike and I share many of the same beliefs, not just aboutrunning a successful team, but also about enjoying strong familyvalues. He firmly believes in giving back and so he volunteers histime to a number of causes. He is very loyal to his home provinceof Saskatchewan, and I was proud to be in Saskatoon in July 2010when the city held an official Mike Babcock Day. About $250,000was raised for the new childrens hospital.

Mike came up through the ranks, like I did myself. Nothing washanded to him; he had to work hard. Hes used to working underpressure. In this book Mike refers to a quotation I gave him aboutattitude. I did it because we share the same ideas on this. We bothbelieve that to be a successful person, player, or a successful coach,attitude is important.

At the Vancouver Olympics he was admired not only by theplayers on Team Canada but by the other coaches too, and by thegeneral manager, Steve Yzerman. There was the added pressurefor Canada playing on home ice, and knowing that in the 2006Olympics, Canada had not even reached the final four. Mike waswell aware of the pressure, and he responded well. He had a strongsense of kinship with the whole team and the coaches.

Leading up to the Vancouver games, Mike demonstrates in thisbook a clear conception of what he wanted, a confidence that hisgoal could be attained, a focus on what it would take, a commitment to how important it was to Canada, a strong character to stayon a proper course, and an ability to enjoy the process along theway. In the process, he creates for us a valuable, practical framework for achieving success.

In bringing home the gold medal for Canada in 2010, alongwith his earlier achievements, he reached the top of the hockey universe. He has left us a wonderful legacy that will inspire and motivate others to do the same in their chosen professions.

TEAM CANADA, 2010

Ages and team affiliations are from February 2010

Management

Steve Yzerman, Executive Director (Vice-President, Detroit Red Wings)

Doug Armstrong, Associate Director (Director of Player Personnel, St. Louis Blues)

Ken Holland, Associate Director (Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Detroit Red Wings)

Kevin Lowe, Associate Director (President of Hockey Operations, Edmonton Oilers)

Coaches

Mike Babcock, Head Coach (Coach, Detroit Red Wings)

Ken Hitchcock, Associate Coach (Coach, Columbus Blue Jackets)

Jacques Lemaire, Associate Coach (Coach, New Jersey Devils)

Lindy Ruff, Associate Coach (Coach, Buffalo Sabres)

Goaltenders

Martin Brodeur, 37 (New Jersey Devils)

Marc-Andr Fleury, 25 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Roberto Luongo, 30 (Vancouver Canucks)

Defencemen

Dan Boyle, 33 (San Jose Sharks)

Drew Doughty, 20 (Los Angeles Kings)

Duncan Keith, 26 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Scott Niedermayer, 36 (Anaheim Ducks)

Chris Pronger, 35 (Philadelphia Flyers)

Brent Seabrook, 24 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Shea Weber, 24 (Nashville Predators)

Forwards

Patrice Bergeron, 24 (Boston Bruins)

Sidney Crosby, 22 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Ryan Getzlaf, 24 (Anaheim Ducks)

Dany Heatley, 29 (San Jose Sharks)

Jarome Iginla, 32 (Calgary Flames)

Patrick Marleau, 30 (San Jose Sharks)

Brenden Morrow, 31 (Dallas Stars)

Rick Nash, 25 (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Corey Perry, 24 (Anaheim Ducks)

Mike Richards, 25 (Philadelphia Flyers)

Eric Staal, 25 (Carolina Hurricanes)

Joe Thornton, 30 (San Jose Sharks)

Jonathan Toews, 21 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Hockey Canada Personnel

Bob Nicholson, President

Johnny Misley, Executive Vice-President

Wayne Gretzky, Special Advisor

Brad Pascall, Senior Director, Mens National Teams

Scott Salmond, Director, Mens National Teams

Ben Cooper, Video Manager

Jim Thorne, Team Doctor

Pierre Gervais, Equipment Manager

Pat ONeill, Equipment Manager

Mike Burnstein, Athletic Therapist

Jim Ramsay, Athletic Therapist

Kent Kobelka, Therapist

Andr Brin, Media Relations

J. J. Hebert, Media Relations

Mark Black, Coordinator, Mens National Teams

LEAVE NO DOUBT