TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – When the allegations first surfaced, the Blue Jackets, the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association believed Mike Babcock’s request to see his players’ private cell phone pictures was an innocent, if unpleasant, interaction from a new coach know his players.
But in the days that followed, the story that Paul Bissonnette first revealed on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast began to take a very different shape.
Sure, these interactions were deemed acceptable by veteran players Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, both of whom have made public statements defending Babcock. But the NHLPA began receiving more input from other players — in the Blue Jackets’ locker room and perhaps beyond — which was far more devastating, portraying the interactions as nothing less than an invasion of privacy by players who didn’t feel empowered to do so felt Resist the experienced trainer.
Burning question: Did the Blue Jackets know the extent of Babcock’s interactions with players when this first came to light? If they knew the extent of it and tried to cover up this story before it began, that doesn’t say anything good about the club’s decision-makers, from hockey president John Davidson to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and others.
But if they didn’t know the extent of Babcock’s invasion of privacy, that says something that should really worry the Blue Jackets – all the way down to the ownership level.
This would suggest that Blue Jackets players – veterans and/or young players – feel more comfortable speaking their truth to people like Bissonnette and the NHLPA than to those in charge of the Blue Jackets organization. If that’s the case, the McConnell family — as reticent as any ownership group in professional sports — may have to demand answers.
Babcock resigned Sunday, less than three months after being hired on July 1, and issued a succinct statement saying he was stepping down because he would be “too much of a distraction” if he remained in office. Nowhere in his statement did he acknowledge behavior that was completely unacceptable.
It’s possible Babcock didn’t even realize he was crossing a line with the players. While that may be his best defense, it would also be evidence that he learned absolutely nothing from the misdeeds he committed with former players while coaching the Maple Leafs and Red Wings.
Don’t get this twisted: This isn’t evidence of a society too woke to deal with a demanding coach using unusual tactics. This isn’t about young players expecting smooth treatment and being too soft to play for an old-school coach.
This is unacceptable behavior at any level, for any player, in any generation. Going through someone’s phone is worse than going through their wallet or purse. As one former NHL coach told The Athletic, “What happened to lunch or coffee?”
Bissonnette, a former player and current TV analyst, actually did the Blue Jackets a big favor here. As painful as these last few days have been — my goodness, the Blue Jackets’ prospects in the Traverse City Tournament looked great, by the way — it was important to address this as quickly as possible.
The most important thing is to do the right thing, no matter how painful it is. They did the right thing by leaving Babcock, but now there’s more to do.
You better hope the locker room isn’t divided over this. (One player said in a text message to The Athletic that the players remain united.) Better not to let the players who didn’t appreciate Babcock’s actions take the blame for this early-season distraction.
This organization has some respected veterans like Jenner, Gaudreau, Zach Werenski, Sean Kuraly, and Erik Gudbranson. But they have an impressive roster of young players, including Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger, who need to be properly nurtured in a healthy culture.
While Babcock didn’t take any blame in his well-worded statement to the club, that rests solely with him. Davidson and Kekalainen will face some tough questions on Monday at the club’s annual media day, which has now been captured by this story.
The Blue Jackets took a big risk by signing Babcock. Majority owner John H. McConnell would be wise to demand answers from Davidson or Kekalainen or whoever was most eager to hire him.
This is another long line of embarrassing moments from the Blue Jackets over the years. There’s the phallic-shaped mascot Boomer, who was shelved after just one game in 2010. The raging incompetence of the Doug MacLean era. I had to beg Jeff Carter to accept a trade from Philadelphia to Columbus and sell him after a year. Pierre-Luc Dubois leaves the franchise in the middle of the game.
Despite all that, the Blue Jackets, who have only made it past the first round of the playoffs once – including five playoff appearances during Kekalainen’s 10-year tenure – have a loyal and passionate fan base that deserves better.
The only saving grace is that the terrible decision to hire Mike Babcock backfired before he had time to do any more damage.
(Photo by Mike Babcock: Kyle Robertson / USA Today)