On this date in 2023, rumors surfaced that the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets] were going to hire long-time NHL coach Mike Babcock. Columbus fans and hockey fans in general had a few reactions. CBJ fans were split 50/50, it seemed. Some fans wanted the hard-nosed coach that could bring out the best in the players. While others were shocked that the CBJ front office would bring in said hard-nosed coach and put him around a very young team. Babcock has been away from the NHL for 4 years or so, and in the sports world, that’s an eternity. In 2021, he accepted the coaching job at the University of Saskatchewan, but in August of 2022, he resigned. The next day, he announced he would retire. But like most coaches in any sport, it’s hard to stay away. The question that most fans have is: has he changed? There were reports from a couple of players over the years of mental abuse or feuding with players like Mike Commodore. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/columbus-blue-jackets/former-blue-jacket-mike-commodore-speaks-out-on-the-potential-hiring-of-mike-babcock] He has come out publicly and said that back when he was coaching, he had no idea about mental health and how to deal with it. Babcock has been an outspoken advocate for the Bell Let’s Talk awareness campaign and other groups. A few weeks after the rumors started, Mike Commodore came out with a blistering video [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/latest-news/former-blue-jacket-mike-commodore-speaks-out-on-the-potential-hiring-of-mike-babcock] about Babcock. He publicly bashed both Babcock and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Commodore went on a calm, NSWF rant about how "disappointed" he was to see "Babs the Bully" back in the NHL. Commie asked, "Am I surprised? No, I'm not!" Commodore went on to say that he never believed Babcock was retiring. He said he also feels Babcock went into the CBJ front office and told them "whatever they wanted to hear," "blah blah blah," so he could get the job, claiming he changed; meanwhile Commie thinks otherwise. " Babs the bully ain't changing." Commodore went on to say he hopes this experiment fails miserably. "With all due respect to my buddies that are in the Blue Jackets Organization, I hope this Babcock experiment is a complete disaster, on every single level." As we know, it was a complete failure and possibly set the team back a few years; they later hired Pascal Vincent to replace him, and that hire also failed. It's been a long three years for Columbus, but with a new GM, Head Coach(stable), and some front office changes, it seems like they're on the right track, but time will tell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Up For Columbus: The NHL Draft is on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, where the CBJ will own pick #14. Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwm-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and never miss a story. Let us know what you think below. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
