Blue Jackets feel Babcock is the right man for the job

Shortly after the hockey world found out the Blue Jackets were looking for a head coach -- and before he was announced as a Hockey Hall of Famer -- Ken Hitchcock had a phone call with an old friend.

The former CBJ coach had some thoughts about who his old squad should hire, and he had no hesitation telling the team's president of hockey operations, John Davidson, about his opinion earlier this spring.

"I had a good conversation with Ken Hitchcock, and he said there's only one guy to hire," Davidson said. "I said, 'Who you thinking?' He said, 'Mike Babcock.' I said, 'Oh really?' And we had a real good, long discussion."

It would be too simple to say that conversation got things started, but it is emblematic of the response the Blue Jackets front office received as it asked around the league as part of its coaching search.

After a "lengthy process," as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen described it, Columbus settled on Babcock, who returns to the league after a three-and-a-half year absence. Babcock was announced as the Blue Jackets' ninth full-time head coach at a news conference yesterday and received a two-year contract to lead the squad.

"I talk to people that I know that are not only Hall of Fame hockey people but Hall of Fame people with character, and those types of conversations are really important to me," Kekalainen said. "They're trustworthy people that I have really good and long relationships with, and all the feedback from those people that have worked with Mike for years, a lot closer than I got to know him, were positive.

Video: Mike Babcock named coach of the Blue Jackets

"Not only does everybody say Mike is a great coach, but more importantly, (they) said Mike is a really good person. That was basically unanimous from everybody that I trust that I spoke with."

Form a hockey perspective, the hiring of Babcock was an easy choice. The only coach in the sport's history to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal, World Cup, World Championship and World Junior Championship, Babcock is 12th all-time in NHL history with 700 wins and has made the playoffs in 14 of 16 full seasons behind an NHL bench.

But after being let go from his last job in Toronto in November 2019 following a 9-10-4 start, Babcock faced criticism from former players at some previous stops. When asked if he understood why there might be trepidation from the Blue Jackets about his arrival, Babcock faced the situation head on.

"Oh yeah, I think so for sure," Babcock said. "Anything new can make you nervous. Now, there's expectations. You have to do the work and all that, but there shouldn't be (apprehension). We'll have to work at that. But when you think about it, if you're a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, you don't know what to expect either.

"What I know is I'm going to bring enthusiasm, work ethic, honesty every single day, and over a couple of months we're all going to get to know one another. And then you get to form your own opinion. The fans are going to do that, and the players are going to do that. And it's not what I say, it's what I do."

To that end, Babcock has spent the previous few years going back to his roots. An accomplished junior coach before moving on to the professional ranks, Babcock spent a year as a volunteer coach with the University of Vermont and another as head coach at the University of Saskatchewan, where his son was getting an MBA and served as an assistant coach.

In the college ranks and far away from the grinding spotlight of the NHL, Babcock said he rediscovered "pure joy" for both the game and the family time he got to have. He also acknowledged that some introspection -- as well as some discussions with family members -- led him to the realization he'd have to continue to evolve if he wanted to be an effective leader.

"When you have 23 different guys on your team, you need 23 different ways to approach them," he said. "You need a communication plan with each one, you need a development plan with each one, you need a mental health plan with each one to have success. I couldn't have said what I just said to you now 10 years ago because I didn't know that.

"But when you go into a university setting, they have all these experts in all these fields right there, and they help you get better. I had some good relationships with people there, and they teach you a lot about the way you communicate. I think it's important that you continue to grow."

Babcock pointed to relationships as one of the reasons he's most excited to get going with the Blue Jackets, and his ties to the organization are strong. He said he still plays golf with Hitchcock, who like Babcock cut his teeth in the junior ranks in Western Canada, and he remains close with original CBJ coach Dave King, who was his coach when Babcock played at the University of Saskatchewan.

Babcock also has known both Davidson and Kekalainen for decades through his life in hockey, and the two parties feel like now is the time to work together.

"We are convinced we got the best coach for the job," Kekalainen said. "His coaching achievements talk for themselves. Everybody knows that, but I am also convinced that he's the right person, the right man for the job. And that's really important."