Today at the Leafs practice, Mike Babcock was sporting a University of New Hampshire hat because he'd lost another bet. This time to James van Riemsdyk.
Babcock's son, Michael, who is 22, is in his second year as a winger for Merrimack College, where he has nine points in 36 games. He was facing off against UNH in the playoffs, and that team has a 21-year-old centre named Brendan van Riemsdyk. He has 16 points in 37 games.
UNH won the day, and Babcock paid up with the hat on his head nice and promptly.
Back in January, he made a patriotic bet over the outcome of the World Junior Championships with a few Americans of his acquaintance. That bet was supposed to be for a bottle of wine. He admits today that he has the wine, he just hasn't handed it over to Auston Matthews, Lou Lamoriello or Jim Paliafito.
Babcock said he's lost bottles of wine to Auston Matthews, Lou Lamoriello and Dir. of Player Evaluation Jim Paliafito in various bets.
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) 6 March 2017
Babcock said he has the wine but hasn't paid up bets with the contingency from WJC. Matthews and Lou among those waiting.
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) 6 March 2017
The video evidence:
So don't take Mike to the track because he's got a bad record at gambling. Good thing hockey's not a game of chance.