from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

There is no control freak like the head coach of any major sports team, "amateur" or professional.

That is why there is always great hilarity when the first statement from any U.S. college coach whose program is caught in any nefarious undertaking, such as slipping cash to officially unpaid athletes, is: "I had no idea anything untoward was happening."

At least Mike Babcock admits he suffers from the affliction. Control, that is. Slipping the players wads of cash – perfectly legal and absolutely required in the NHL's case – is the job of general manager Lou Lamoriello. The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach volunteered the information after Tuesday's practice when the subject of the team's five-day break came up.

Thanks to the NHL Players' Association, which landed the perk in the bargaining for the current collective agreement, every NHL team gets a five-day break during the 82-game season, separate from the all-star break.

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