Michael Babcock Named 6th Brantford Bulldogs Head Coach

michael babcock is the Brantford Bulldogs' 6th head coach in franchise history, and the club says the 31-year-old is the youngest person to lead its bench. General manager Spencer Hyman announced the hire as Brantford turned to a coach with junior, college, European, and professional development experience.

Hyman Names Babcock

Hyman said he was "incredibly proud and honoured to name Michael Babcock the sixth head coach in Brantford Bulldogs history. The next Chapter starts now." He added that the search centered on finding the right leader to guide the players and the organization into the future.

Babcock has called Saskatoon home, but his path started in Michigan. He played for the Little Caesars AAA program and Detroit Catholic Central high school, then spent two seasons in the USHL after a stint with the USNTDP. He was captain of the Fargo Force in 2014-15.

Merrimack To San Diego

At Merrimack College, he spent four years and earned his business degree while playing there, then was named to the Hockey East All-Academic team in 2015-16. He later played for Amiens in France’s Ligue Magnus in 2019-20 and won the French Cup with the club that season.

Babcock began coaching in 2021-22 with the University of Saskatchewan, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach and earned his MBA. In 2023, he joined the Ottawa Senators as an assistant and development coach, then moved to the St. Louis Blues as skills coach for a pair of seasons and worked with Claude Julien. He served as an assistant coach with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the 2025-26 season.

TD Civic Centre June 9

The Bulldogs will host a press conference on Tuesday, June 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the TD Civic Centre, and media and fans are welcome to attend and ask questions to Babcock. His family tie adds another layer: he is the son of Mike Babcock, who won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014.