from the CP at TSN,

The fire by Emma Lake crackled as a jubilant Mike Babcock sipped a drink alongside his father.

It was the summer of 2010 and Babcock was back in Saskatchewan, revelling for a moment in his recent success, which included his first Olympic gold medal at the Vancouver Games and a Stanley Cup championship in 2008.

"You know Dad, things are going pretty good," Babcock recalled telling Mike Babcock Sr., who died last March at the age of 78.

The father reminded his son that the success was already in the past. The message was clear: it was time to move on.

"It was over with," Babcock said Wednesday, reflecting on that day nearly six years ago.

The chase for more is what drives Babcock, who will become the 25th man in NHL history to coach 1,000 games when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

It's all about what's next for the 52-year-old from Saskatoon, who owns victories at the world junior championship, the world hockey championship, and Canadian university circuit to go along with two Olympic golds and one Stanley Cup.

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