TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Mike Babco*ck’s attempts to rehabilitate his image and resume his NHL coaching career lasted barely two months. He didn’t even make it to opening night.
Babco*ck resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday, less than a week after allegations surfaced on a popular podcast that he had perused players’ private pictures on their cellphones by viewing them on a big screen TV using the Airplay application.
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“Upon reflection, it has become clear that continuing as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets was going to be too much of a distraction,” Babco*ck said in a statement. “While I’m disappointed to not have had the opportunity to continue the work we’ve begun, I know it’s in the best interest of the organization for me to step away at this time. I wish everyone in the organization well in the upcoming season.”
While some players didn’t mind the interaction — Blue Jackets veterans Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau both said they didn’t view it as an invasion of privacy — Babco*ck’s meetings with other players were either handled differently or interpreted differently, perhaps both.
Read more: Portzline: Mike Babco*ck’s resignation raises troubling questions about Blue Jackets organization
The Blue Jackets promoted associate coach Pascal Vincent, who was passed over for the job during the last two coaching hires, as their head coach just three days before training camp opens.
“Our ownership group is deeply frustrated and disappointed by the events of the past week,” the Blue Jackets ownership group, led by majority owner John P. McConnell, said in a statement Monday. “We have been in contact with (president of hockey operations) John Davidson, (general manager) Jarmo Kekalainen and our management team throughout this process and were in full agreement with Mike Babco*ck stepping down and Pascal Vincent leading our team as head coach.”
Team ownership said it does not anticipate further changes to its hockey leadership at this time.
“Additional disruptions would be detrimental to our players and coaches as they prepare for the opening of training camp in two days,” the statement said. “We will continue to have regular communications with our hockey leadership and are looking forward to an exciting season.”
Babco*ck, hired on July 1 after 3 1/2 years away from the NHL, vehemently defended the picture-sharing as a way to get to know his know players. He said he had similar interactions in his previous coaching stops, including Toronto.
The allegations were revealed by former NHL player Paul Bissonnette on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, and initially, the NHL and the NHLPA seemed willing to accept Babco*ck’s explanation as well as the public testimonies of Jenner, Gaudreau and others.
NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said “our players deserve to be treated with respect in the workplace. Unfortunately, that was not the case in Columbus. The club’s decision to move forward with a new head coach is the appropriate course of action.”
Mike Babco*ck resigns as Head Coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets; club names Pascal Vincent Head Coach
📝 https://t.co/n8j1F2aIG8 pic.twitter.com/NvItvLqzKo
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 17, 2023
It’s a stunning turn of events, in one sense. Babco*ck arrived in Columbus saying that he learned difficult lessons about his previous coaching tactics and communications skills, and he vowed to interact with players differently. But he resigned before the start of training camp without ever running a practice.
“This was a difficult decision on everyone’s part, but one we felt necessary to ensure our focus remains on the players and the team’s upcoming season,” Blue Jackets general manager and alternate governor Jarmo Kekalainen. “On behalf of the entire Blue Jackets organization, we want to thank Mike for his hard work and the professionalism he has shown in working together on a plan to step down.”
This was Babco*ck’s first NHL coaching role since he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019. In the days after the firing, he was accused by multiple former players in Toronto and Detroit of verbal and psychological abuse.
Vincent, who has been an associate coach with the Blue Jackets the past two seasons, will be introduced as head coach at the Blue Jackets’ media day, set for Monday.
(Photo: Kyle Robertson / USA Today)
Aaron Portzline is a senior writer for The Athletic NHL based in Columbus, Ohio. He has been a sportswriter for more than 30 years, winning national and state awards as a reporter at the Columbus Dispatch. In addition, Aaron has been a frequent contributor to the NHL Network and The Hockey News, among other outlets. Follow Aaron on Twitter @Aportzline
