What happens now?

Last Tuesday, when a national podcast was posted that accused Mike Babcock of going through player's phones, it took the NHL by storm. Many fans wanted to wait for all the info to be released before they commented, while others stated that it didn't matter if it was true or not, and labeled him guilty because of his past.

Later that day, The CBJ released statements from both Mike Babcock and Boone Jenner, stating that what had happened was innocent and that nothing wrong had happened.

Boone Jenner

“While meeting with Babs he asked me about my family and where I’m from, my upcoming wedding, and hockey-related stuff. He then asked if I had pictures of my family and I was happy to share some with him. He showed me pictures of his family."                 

"I thought it was a great first meeting and a good way for us to start to build a relationship. To have this blown out of proportion is truly disappointing.”        

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Mike Babcock

“While meeting with our players and staff I asked them to share, off their phones, family pictures as part of the process of getting to know them better. There was absolutely nothing more to it than that."

"The way this was portrayed on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast was a gross misrepresentation of those meetings and extremely offensive."

"These meetings have been very important and beneficial, not only for me but for our players and staff as well, and to have them depicted like this is irresponsible and completely inaccurate.”

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Zach Werenski was on the 97.1 The Fan in Columbus the next day and stated that his interaction with Babcock was great, spending a few hours at his Michigan home talking. Werenski said everything was positive. He also said that the report that came out the day before was a "non-event" among the players. 

The NHLPA launched an investigation and was in Columbus on Thursday while Mike Babcock was with the team in Traverse for the annual prospects tournament. Babcock was seen taking pictures with fans and watching the games. On Sunday, GM Jarmo Kekalainen refused to comment on the Babcock situation. A short time later, it was announced he had resigned, and then offered the following statement:

Mike Babcock

"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," wrote Babcock 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."

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The Blue Jackets released a joint statement announcing the resignation and the hiring of Pascal Vincent. Vincent has been signed to a 2-year deal and for many CBJ fans, they felt he should've been the choice after the firing of Brad Larsen. 

After the news broke that he was resigning, the NHLPA released the following statement:

"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."

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How do the Blue Jackets move on after this? 

For the players it's simple - go out and play hockey. They've played for Pascal Vincent the past few seasons, as he was an assistant, so he's going to be the familiar face they need. Vincent is also known as a coach who gets the most out of young players. He's also been called smart and cerebral, and quiet but firm. He's an offensive-minded coach and the teams he's coached typically have good power plays. Players and fans should be excited about Vincent's tenure. The burning question is will there be any division among the players?

How does the CBJ front office move on?

GM Jarmo Kekalainen and John Davidson have their work cut for them. They will undoubtedly be under intense pressure for the foreseeable future, and cannot shy away from answering questions in regards to this incident. They have to be open, and honest and give everyone the "whys". And they absolutely cannot get defensive when being asked about it.

As far as moving on, the team needs to win, plain and simple. If this team falters out of the gate, which it's prone to do, there could be major changes coming. If the season starts and they play .500 or better hockey, this issue could quiet down and we may not even be thinking about it come November or December, at least the media or fans. But what about ownership? This is a black eye on the organization and we have yet to hear from the owners on the matter. At some point, the ownership should come forward and address the situation. They have to right?

Today is the CBJ's annual media day, and it will be interesting, to say the least. In what could've been a day spent raving over Adam Fantilli, Stanislav Svozil, and David Jiricek, instead, we'll be asking questions about now-fired Mike Babcock and why he was hired in the first place. 

Hopefully, those questions are answered.