Gaudreau is saying all the right things about coach Mike Babcock.
When it was leaked that the Columbus Blue Jackets were going to hire Mike Babcock, both fans and people in the media had one question, “What about Johnny?”.
Well, Johnny Gaudreau has spoken. In a Q&A with NHL.com’s Adam Kimmelman, Gaudreau addressed the Babcock hiring.
Kimmelman asked him if he’d gotten to know Babcock since his hiring,
"Talked to 'Babs' a little bit. Seems like a really good dude. Got to chat with him for about 45 minutes to an hour when I was in Columbus for Boone Jenner's wedding. We picked each other's brains for a little bit and got off to the right footstep there”. Gaudreau also adds “We're both really looking forward to (training) camp coming up here. He's expecting a lot out of our team and that's what we want out of a coach”.
Gaudreau was also asked if he knows what Babcock is going to demand of the team, he says,
“He's going to come straightforward with what he wants and how he wants his team ran. It's what we need. We need that hard-nosed coach that's going to push us in practices and in games.”
Kimmelman asked Gaudreau if a more demanding coach works better for him, as he had a career year playing under Darryl Sutter, he said,
"I guess a little bit. I don't know Babs too well. I played for Bob Hartley, another guy who is very demanding and Sutter the same way, so I've had success under those coaches. They want their teams to win. They push their guys every single day and they don't let things slide. That's what you need out of a coach. It's going to be fun."
Johnny Gaudreau seems to be looking forward to playing for Babcock, and this should make CBJ fans excited about the possibilities.
Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.