Mike Commodore

Michael Commodore
Born	(1979-11-07) November 7, 1979 Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey defenceman (retired)
Years active	1999–2014
Known for	Winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006

Michael W. Commodore (born November 7, 1979) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman. Throughout his NHL tenure, Commodore played for multiple franchises and secured the Stanley Cup title with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. He was selected 42nd overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils.

Playing career

Commodore spent three seasons competing at the collegiate level with the University of North Dakota, capturing the NCAA Championship in 2000. After being drafted by New Jersey, he was subsequently traded to the Anaheim Ducks and later moved to the Calgary Flames, where he participated in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. Due to Calgary’s strong defensive roster, he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the 2005–06 campaign, ultimately winning the Stanley Cup with them.

Recognizable for his signature red playoff beard coupled with an afro hairstyle, Commodore attracted media spotlight during postseason runs. Following each finals appearance, he shaved his hair as part of charitable initiatives supporting cancer research through fundraising events and auctions. His distinctive look also helped foster fan enthusiasm during playoff seasons.

In collaboration with Rhett Warrener, he featured in Paul Brandt’s music video "Convoy." During the 2006-07 NHL season, Commodore tied for the highest number of shorthanded goals by a defenseman, netting two. He also contributed to Canada’s gold medal victory at the 2007 IIHF World Championship.

On February 11, 2008, Commodore was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He later inked a five-year deal worth $18.75 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 1, 2008, playing a role in their inaugural Stanley Cup Playoff qualification. In January 2011, after clearing waivers, he was assigned to the Springfield Falcons of the AHL.

The Detroit Red Wings signed him in July 2011 on a one-year contract valued at $1 million. Though encouraged to wear jersey number 64 as a tribute to the Commodore 64 computer, he declined this suggestion. On February 27, 2012, Commodore was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick.

During the NHL lockout in 2012, he accepted a professional try-out contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL but was released in January 2013. Commodore wrapped up his professional playing career competing in the Kontinental Hockey League during the 2013–14 season.

Personal

Commodore’s brother, Matt, briefly played junior hockey with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League during the 2000-01 season. Politically, Commodore has expressed opposition toward Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, criticizing his management of both the COVID-19 pandemic and economic strategies.

As of 2017, Commodore occasionally worked as an Uber driver.

Feud with Mike Babcock

Commodore has publicly voiced criticism against former NHL coach Mike Babcock, asserting that he was unfairly treated while playing for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks in the AHL, where Babcock showed preference for another player. Their relationship worsened after Commodore joined the Detroit Red Wings, coached by Babcock; Commodore claims this marked the end of his NHL career. He alleges that Babcock misrepresented his role on the team, kept him sidelined as a healthy scratch for much of the season, and only utilized him under pressure from general manager Ken Holland. Eventually traded away, Commodore believes Holland’s sympathy over his limited ice time influenced that decision.

Furthermore, Commodore criticized Babcock for benching Hall of Famer Mike Modano just before achieving 1,500 career games—a milestone Modano ultimately did not reach. To express his disapproval, Commodore frequently uses the Twitter hashtag "#FuckBabs."

Following retirement, Commodore has continued to attack Babcock on social media platforms, labeling him a "piece of shit" and wishing harm upon him. He notably celebrated Babcock’s dismissal from the Toronto Maple Leafs in November 2019.

In March 2021, Babcock addressed these accusations on a podcast, explaining that Commodore’s healthy scratches were performance-related and denying any personal grudge. Commodore responded via Twitter by accusing Babcock of inconsistency and contradicting himself.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996–97	Fort Saskatchewan Traders	AJHL		51	3	8	11	244		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	North Dakota Fighting Sioux	WCHA		29	0	5	5	74		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	North Dakota Fighting Sioux	WCHA		39	5	8	13	154		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	North Dakota Fighting Sioux	WCHA		38	5	7	12	154		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Albany River Rats	AHL		41	2	5	7	59		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	New Jersey Devils	NHL		20	1	4	5	14		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Albany River Rats	AHL		14	0	3	3	31
2001–02	New Jersey Devils	NHL		37	0	1	1	30
2002–03	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL		61	2	9	11	210
2002–03	Saint John Flames	AHL		7	0	3	3	18
2002–03	Calgary Flames	NHL		6	0	1	1	19
2003–04	Lowell Lock Monsters ... (content truncated to meet length reduction) International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2007 Canada IIHF World Championship Template:Gold1 9 0 2 2 14 Senior totals 9 0 2 2 14 Awards and honors Distinction Year Collegiate Level Selected for the NCAA All-Tournament Team 2000 Professional NHL Stanley Cup winner (with Carolina Hurricanes) 2006 External links