Mike Babcock became the highest-paid coach in NHL history when he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto hired Babcock in May 2015 on an eight-year contract reportedly worth $50 million. That agreement made him the highest-paid coach in NHL history at the time, with an average annual value of roughly $6.25 million. The question’s reference to 2014 is a date error; the record-setting Toronto signing occurred in 2015, but Mike Babcock is still the correct person.
Babcock had already established himself as one of hockey’s most decorated coaches. He led the Detroit Red Wings to the 2008 Stanley Cup and coached Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014. He was also the first coach to win the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and World Championship gold.
His Toronto tenure lasted from 2015 until 2019. Although the Maple Leafs did not win the Stanley Cup under him, the contract remained a major landmark in NHL coaching salaries and reflected his reputation after a decade in Detroit.