If in recent days the players of the Columbus Blue Jackets have been very uncomfortable talking about Mike Babcock, they have not hesitated to praise the qualities of the Quebecer Pascal Vincent.
The latter was promoted to head coach of the Ohio team on Sunday, while Babcock resigned after forcing his players to hand over their cellphones so he could search their contents.
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On Tuesday, several Blue Jackets leaders held a news conference and spoke publicly about the situation for the first time. The unease was palpable among the hockey players, who were still trying to find a positive side to things.
“We didn’t want to experience that a week before the start of training camp, but we are a closer group now,” summarized striker Patrik Laine.
However, athletes were much happier to voice their opinions on the promotion of Vincent, who had worked as an assistant with the Jackets since the 2021-2022 season.
“He is passionate. He took care of the forwards and the power play last year. So we worked together a lot,” Johnny Gaudreau said of him.
“He deserves this position. He works so hard. “He’s a smart coach who cares about everyone in the locker room,” added captain Boone Jenner. […] It’s happening quickly, we start the camp in two days. However, no one is worried about “Passy”. We know he will be ready.”
A respected man
Respect is also a term that comes up again and again among players. It seems that Vincent’s attitude allowed him to achieve victory.
“Passy is a very intelligent coach. He’s been doing this for a long time and his resume speaks for itself. He was Coach of the Year in the American League and excelled in the QMJHL. The guys in our locker room trust him and respect him,” said defenseman Zach Werenski.
In the Blue Jackets’ locker room, no one was around the Lava native as often as Laine, as Vincent was a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization when the Finnish player wore that team’s colors.
“I’ve known him since I was 18 when I arrived in Winnipeg,” recalled the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. […] I told him that I was very excited, more than I have been lately. I’m happy for him. I respect him and I appreciate him. I am confident he will do a good job.”