Home / News / After phone controversy, Mike Babcock out as head coach of Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a single game

After phone controversy, Mike Babcock out as head coach of Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a single game

By Ian Oland

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September 17, 2023 4:05 pm

Mike Babcock’s reign as Columbus Blue Jackets head coach is over after 78 days.

After pledging that he changed his ways during his introductory press conference with Blue Jackets media, Babcock has resigned after he asked players to share photos from their personal phones during one-on-one meetings.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news.

The NHL and NHLPA discussed Babcock’s conduct during a meeting Friday, with the announcement of his resignation coming Sunday afternoon. According to The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Babcock and the Blue Jackets spent much of the last 24-48 hours negotiating his exit.

Blue Jackets associate coach Pascal Vincent will replace Babcock, signing a two-year contract through the 2024-25 campaign. Vincent first joined the organization in 2021 and previously served as head coach of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He becomes Columbus’ fourth bench boss in the last four seasons.

In a release, Babcock said it was in the “best interest” of the Blue Jackets if he step away from the team.

“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,” said Babcock. “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.”

GM Jarmo Kekalainen added, “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. 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.”

News of Babcock’s conduct first surfaced Tuesday on the podcast Spittin’ Chiclets. According to cohost and NHL on TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette, he received the story from a player.

“He gets to Columbus and one of the first things he does is he calls in Boone Jenner, the captain of the team, and he says let me see the photos in your phone,” Bissonnette told Ryan Whitney. “I want to know the type of person you are.”

The team quickly released statements from both Babcock and Jenner disputing the story, but Bissonnette’s account was enough to trigger an investigation from both the NHL and NHLPA. NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey interviewed players Thursday in Columbus while Babcock was in Michigan for the NHL Prospects Tournament.

Per Friedman, the NHL and NHLPA learned that the requests for phone photos had made some of the Blue Jackets’ younger players uncomfortable, triggering a more thorough investigation. Most notably, one incident included “several minutes” of going through a phone during a meeting away from the team’s facilities.

The NHLPA’s probe included interviews with not only members of the Blue Jackets but also those who worked under Babcock earlier in his career. Babcock reportedly also requested photos from players, staff, and executives over his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings (2005-2015) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2015-2019).

Though this may be the first time Babcock’s conduct directly cost him his job, his career has been marred by accusations of questionable behavior, including from former Red Wings players Johan Franzen and Chris Chelios.While with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, Babcock also asked then-rookie Mitch Marner for a list of his teammates in order of effort, later showing the confidential list to the players rated last.

Several of Babcock’s former players have also spoken out against him over the last week, including Frank Corrado and (Caution: foul language in linked tweet) Mike Commodore. Commodore, who played under Babcock in Detroit during the 2011-12 season, (Caution: more bad language) didn’t mince words when reacting to Babcock’s resignation Sunday afternoon on X.

Babcock has not coached an NHL game since the Leafs fired him in 2019.

He leaves Columbus (just like UMBC’s football team) an undefeated 0-0. That win record still ranks him top-10 among all Blue Jackets coaches, beating out Gary Agnew’s short lived tenure that saw him go 0-4-1.

Update: NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh issued the following statement Sunday evening.

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.

Screenshot: Columbus Blue Jackets/YouTube

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