The worst kept secret in hockey is now official. Mike Babcock has been introduced as the ninth head coach in the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Babcock met with the media on Saturday morning at Nationwide Arena. He was joined by GM Jarmo Kekalainen and President of Hockey Operations John Davidson. They answered questions for about 40 minutes combined discussing the coaching hire and why he was the right man for the job in their mind.
Here are our five takeaways from that availability. Babcock believes he is a changed man.
A Changed Man
One of the big questions coming into this for Babcock was if he was a changed man. He has been away from the NHL for the last three and a half years. He says that time off was huge for him.
“Yeah, it’s been three-and-a-half years, and to be honest with you, the last 3-1/2 years have been like a gift from god,” Babcock said. “It’s been so much fun. I’ve enjoyed it a lot, being around my family and my kids are older. I’m enjoying that, getting a chance to coach college hockey. I wouldn’t be here today if my son hadn’t gone to Ottawa at the end of the season and started breaking down all the games, talking to him every day about what they were doing. Next thing you know, you kind of get excited about hockey and teams started calling. Jarmo just said it about a relationship over a long period of time. I’ve been coming to Columbus since I played or coached with Pete in Cincy … forever. Like the town, like the people, like the ownership, like the team, good opportunity for myself.”
Babcock went on to say that people need to change every year.
“Well, I think it’s real important for all of us as people, we’ve got to change every year. We’ve got to grow. I used to say the offseason was a chance to reinvent yourself, but what’s happened to me over the last 3-1/2 years, it’s been a thrill to be around my family so much, but I got a couple of really good opportunities. I got to work at the University of Vermont, I got to work with the University of Saskatchewan, and in doing that, I got to coach young kids. What you find is you find the joy that started at Red Deer College. I was enjoying it and you find what worked for you. When I first started in college, I didn’t know anything about coaching, but I knew that if you play hard and you have fun, you can have a lot of success. And, so, my experience at the U of S with the people there, with the players, was a growth opportunity for sure, and I think it sets me up well.”
Babcock believes that he has grown and changed and believes he will continue to grow and change. Where does he currently see opportunity for growth?
“Everybody you’re in contact with, you don’t know as well as you did the people around you in the past. They’re going to teach you something. You’re always going with the best idea, looking for new ideas every year. When you coach the Olympic team in 2010, it’s gotta be different in 2014 because the same thing can’t win. Being surrounded by a bunch of new people with a bunch of new ideas I think is very exciting and allows you to grow. I’ve talked about my last 3 1/2 years because it was so different. Being at university was a growth opportunity. This is really exciting. We have to find the best way of doing things, and that’ll become the Jacket way.”
What Went Into Decision to Hire Babcock
The Blue Jackets interviewed several candidates before deciding to bring Babcock on. Given his recent past, it was interesting to hear what went into that decision. As it turns out, some former players and coaches each had a hand in vouching for Babcock.
“This was a lengthy process,” Kekalainen said. “We wanted to do our due diligence and wanted to do our work to make sure that we get the best coach available for our team, even though I’ve known Mike on a personal level since the late ‘90s, when he was growing up coaching in the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs. He made an impression on me.”
As for those that reached out to Babcock, both Ken Hitchcock and Dave King, the Blue Jackets’ first ever coach, each reached out.
“Well I didn’t call them, they called me, like in a hurry,” Babcock said. “You know, Dave King coached here right at the start. I was, I said to you guys, I was working in Cincy for the Mighty Ducks and in Detroit. And I’d come up here every Tuesday, or maybe it was a Wednesday I can’t remember but I’d come up here and come to the game. You know, when you’re working in American League. I used to walk in here and go into the scout room or whatever, and you know how good the meal is here? It was unbelievable. When you’re in the American League. That was a home run thing. But I used to come up here I’d meet with Kinger, you get to know some of the people and then you meet NHL people, you’ve been around a good rink. So I had a chance to talk to Kinger about it and about how special the town was.”
“I had a chance to talk to Hitch, I got a place up by Hitch there and so I get to talk to him a lot. And we’ve worked together a number of times on national teams and he couldn’t say enough good things about the city. The city is fantastic. And the other thing he talked about was the fans and what a great place it is, and that the fans love their hockey team here and they love hockey. So you know they couldn’t say enough good things about it.”
As was expected, Rick Nash also had good things to say about Babcock. John Davidson confirmed that.
“If I could interject just for one second,” Davidson said. “We talked about doing our homework and with Jarmo, we had one person in our office, Rick Nash. Rick Nash played for Babs in the Olympics and you sit down and have discussions, and Rick Nash is a very forthright person, and two thumbs up. That meant a lot to us.”
Still Something to Prove?
Babcock’s resume speaks for itself. He comes in as the most decorated coach in franchise history in terms of playoff success as well as success on the international stage.
However Babcock doesn’t feel like he has anything to prove even at this point. Let him explain.
“I said myself, I said to my wife, I said to my family a number of times: I’m not going to go back to work just to prove something,” Babcock said. “I’m gonna go back if there’s pure joy in it. The last three years has been about pursuing pure joy. When I think of my life, being a husband and being a father … but coaching hockey has been where the joy is, as well.”
When news first broke that Babcock was going to be the head coach, it was met with harsh criticism by most fans. Babcock admitted he didn’t see any of it.
“I wouldn’t know that. Because I don’t have all those things that you look at. So, you know what’s interesting in today’s world, the way it is, you’re an NHL player and the game’s over and you get your phone out and you look and if you haven’t played good, everyone’s whacking. I don’t do that. You know, and so not at all. So I didn’t know. You told me right there what the reaction was. I just said to you over a couple of months here, the fans, you guys, the players we’re gonna get to know each other and then you can decide for yourself.”
Developing Culture
One of the big stories that came out of the Blue Jackets season was the state of the locker room and the culture. The belief is that one of the reasons Brad Larsen was let go was the room wasn’t in the place the tea wanted it to be.
Babcock will certainly bring a culture of honesty with him to the Blue Jackets. But how quickly does he feel like he can get that culture instilled in the room?
“Well, I think that’s a real good question. I think a huge part of culture just starts even here in the offseason,” Babcock said. “Are you doing the work? You know, the harder you work the luckier you get. So if you do all the work, you eat right, you sleep right, you train right, you come to camp, you’re in shape. You get confidence, you feel good about yourself, you don’t get injured. You feel lucky those things happen, but you earned it. So that’s the first thing that has to happen.”
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“And then when you arrive prepared, you show your teammate you’re committed to him because you’re prepared. When you’re in the weight room, you’re showing your teammate you’re doing right. When you’re on the back check, you stop on defense, you show your teammate. To me, we talk about a lot of things in culture, but that is a big part of it, is doing your part to make the whole group better. I mean, we got the facility or I don’t know you people ever get to see there, the weight room, the facility, the kitchen, the food. This place is off-the-charts incredible. And so there’s no room not to do it right. It’s I mean, I saw it yesterday, I couldn’t believe how great it is underneath there. So we provide the opportunity, they got to do the work though.”
Babcock said that his first day of work was Saturday. He hadn’t even met with any of the players yet but that is coming in short order. And as for Development Camp, Babcock said he won’t be a part of that.
“I have no development plan. I don’t know really much about it. I got the schedule yesterday. I’m just here. I’m gonna get to know all the people is what I’m doing. And you know, you introduce yourself to the players and that, but they’re here to work at becoming a pro, learn about the process and the growth. And we’re hoping some of these guys are gonna be wearing the big sweater one day so, but no someone else is doing all this stuff.”
What Happens Next?
Babcock confirmed that both Pascal Vincent and Steve McCarthy will be retained as coaches on the Blue Jackets’ bench. He’s going to take time to get to know everyone and then develop a plan for the rest of the offseason and into training camp.
Babcock in his words has taken the time to evaluate himself and make changes. We’ll see soon enough if he does what he says he’ll do.
“Change in all of us takes time,” Babcock said. The first thing you have to do is embrace it and want to get better. I’ve been a life-long learner, pursuing knowledge my whole life. What this has done has given me a chance to get outside my body, have a look and see what I’m doing, and understand that you needed to change, you needed to grow.”