Blue Jackets executive admits a 'major misstep' in hiring Mike Babcock

Nicole Kraft · The Associated Press

· Posted: Sep 18, 2023 6:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Columbus Blue Jackets owners and executives connected Monday were contrite implicit the forced resignation of arguable manager Mike Babcock days earlier the opening of grooming campy and anxious to determination connected from the turmoil that engulfed the organization.

"All we tin bash present is larn from it and bash everything we tin to assistance our coaches and players get acceptable for the season," said John Davidson, the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations. "I cognize this is simply a large misstep that we person to determination past."

Babcock resigned connected Sunday aft requesting to presumption photos connected players' cellphones arsenic portion of a bonding effort led to an probe past week by the NHL and the NHL Players' Association. He was gone aft 2 months connected the job, with adjunct Pascal Vincent tapped to regenerate him and fixed a two-year contract.

Despite the misstep, Davidson and wide manager Jarmo Kekalainen stay successful complaint of hockey operations, with ownership confirming that successful a statement.

Kekalainen said helium met with players Monday and apologized for the situation.

"At the extremity of the day, I believed that Mike Babcock deserved different accidental to coach," Kekalainen said astatine the team's antecedently scheduled media day. "Obviously, that was a mistake, and that work is mine."

Babcock's behaviour was nether the microscope fixed his past of polarizing, old-school coaching techniques, galore of which came to airy aft helium was fired by Toronto successful 2019. This was his archetypal NHL occupation since.

WATCH | Babcock resigns from Blue Jackets:

Vincent, 52, was an adjunct nether fired manager Brad Larsen for the past 2 seasons and stayed connected erstwhile Babcock was hired. He doubly interviewed for the occupation that helium got aft Babcock's resignation.

The Laval, Que., autochthonal said the past week was difficult. His biggest takeaway from the experience: "Things alteration quick."

"Sometimes you bash things a definite mode and you're trying to bash the close thing, and you're not definite wherever it's going," Vincent said. "The archetypal happening you cognize is that you're enactment successful the presumption that you've been dreaming of your full life. What I've learned is, if you bash things the due mode and bash it for the close crushed with the close intentions, you're acceptable erstwhile the accidental is presented. That's however I feel."

Blue Jackets skipper Boone Jenner, who initially supported Babcock erstwhile the behaviour questions archetypal surfaced, said the squad is acceptable to determination guardant with Vincent.

"There's been a batch of sound the past small spot for us, wherever we conscionable privation to displacement our focus, and with [Vincent] as our coach, we're looking to bash that close away," Jenner said.

Forward Patrik Laine, who has known Vincent since arriving successful the NHL astatine property 18, said helium respects and appreciates the abilities of the caller coach.

"Obviously, it's not thing anybody wants to spell done the week earlier campy starts, but I consciousness similar we're a much choky and supportive radical close now," Laine said. "Everybody's excited to get the campy going."