Former Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent to take over as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and head coach Mike Babcock have mutually agreed to part ways.
No, the 60-year-old bench boss has not set foot on the Blue Jackets' bench, coached a game, or even run a training camp practice yet.
Let go from his role as head coach in Toronto in 2019, Babcock was thrown under the microscope after allegations of his treatment towards some of his younger Leafs players was brought up following his departure.
He spent the next handful of years volunteering with the University of Saskatchewan team, before ultimately joining the Blue Jackets this offseason in a highly scrutinized move.
It didn't take long for the veteran coach to find himself back in the limelight, however, as allegations of his professionalism crept back into the picture over the past week.
According to the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, Babcock brought players into his office and asked them to hook their cellphones up to a television so he could get a better idea of what kind of people they are through the photos on their camera rolls.
The team and captain Boone Jenner quickly refuted the allegations as a simple get-to-know-you exchange between the coach and players.
An NHL Players' Association investigation determined otherwise, as some of the players involved felt the conversations and discoveries were an infringement on their personal space and privacy. It was later reported that Babcock actually took the players' phones and privately scrolled through a number of different apps analyzing their past activity.
On Sunday afternoon, the team announced Babcock would no longer be on the staff, while Pascal Vincent would be taking over as head coach on a two-year pact.
“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,” said Babcock in a team-issued release. “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.”
Initially serving as associate coach, Vincent - who spent 10 seasons with the Winnipeg Jets organization - joined Columbus in 2021, leaving the Manitoba Moose, to whom he coached for five years. The five years prior to that were spent as an assistant to Jets' head coaches Claude Noel and Paul Maurice.
"Well, things changed quick," Vincent said while meeting with the media on Monday. "Sometimes you do things a certain way and you're trying to do the right thing and you're not sure where it's going, and then first thing you know is you're put in a position that you've been dreaming your whole life.
"What I've learned is if you do the things the proper way and you do it for the right reason, with the right intentions, you're ready when the opportunity is presented."
As head coach of the Moose, the 52-year-old Vincent went 155-139-31 in 325 AHL contests. He took home the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s Coach of the Year following the 2017-18 season.
“This is a difficult day, but I am looking forward to this opportunity and appreciate the organization’s confidence in me to lead this team,” Vincent stated.
“We have a great group of guys that have been working very hard to prepare for the season. My focus will be to work with our staff to help them get better every day and be ready for what we believe will be an exciting season.”
Vincent will be under contract as the shot-caller through the 2024-25 NHL season.
“Pascal Vincent is an outstanding coach,” Blue Jackets' general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “He knows our players and organization and is respected by everyone here. He was a strong candidate for our head coaching position several months ago and is in the best position to help us navigate this change as we begin camp and lead our team moving forward.”
Previously, the Laval, QEC. native coached 12 years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and the Montreal Juniors. He also served as GM for eight of those seasons. In his 829 regular season games, Vincent went 439-313-87. He took home the QMJHL's coach and GM of the year awards in back-to-back seasons in the mid-2000s.