Mike Babcock is already at the center of a major controversy in Columbus
Last July 1st, Jarmo Kekalainen surprised many experts in the hockey world by hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock for the upcoming season. Recall that the coach had been severely criticized in the past, perceived by many NHL players as a bully, using tactics deemed very inappropriate towards team rookies.
Although the 60-year-old coach has been in office for just three months, he has once again found himself at the center of a new controversy. According to comments made by Paul Bissonnette on his podcast Spittin Chiclets, Babcock allegedly forced several Blue Jackets players, including captain Boone Jenner, to show various photos the players had on their cell phones.
Ouch! Clearly, the coach has not changed his ways, and this does not bode well for the future!
Furthermore, former NHL defenseman Mike Commodore, who played under Babcock in 2011-2012, also admitted he had received the same information from current Blue Jackets players, adding that this story really happened.
Moreover, we learned through the excellent Aaron Portzline, who works for The Athletic, that the NHL Players' Association will investigate the allegations made against Mike Babcock to determine if any sanctions should be imposed.
One thing's for sure, Mike Babcock clearly did not make a good first impression on the players of his new team. We eagerly await a resolution to this rather controversial story.
Do you believe the Blue Jackets made a serious mistake in hiring the former Maple Leafs head coach?
| POLL | ||
Do you believe the Blue Jackets made a mistake in hiring Mike Babcock as head coach? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 77.3 % |
| No | 15 | 22.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
