Columbus Blue Jackets coach Mike Babcock is denying reports that he violated players’ privacy by demanding to see pictures of their families

New Columbus Blue Jackets coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday he did nothing wrong when he asked players to show him photos from their cell phones and made clear he wanted to get to know them after a report surfaced , in which he was criticized for violating privacy.

Paul Bissonnette said on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. An unknown player told him that Babcock asked captain Boone Jenner to show him photos.

Bissonnette, a former NHL player turned analyst for TNT, said he was informed that Babcock said to Jenner, “Let me see the photos in your phone.” “I want to know what kind a human being you are.”

Babcock and Jenner called it “a gross misrepresentation of these meetings and extremely offensive” in a joint statement from the Blue Jackets.

Jenner said the meeting was a good start to his relationship with Babcock and expressed his disappointment.

Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock denied reports that he violated his players’ privacy

On his Barstool Sports podcast “Spittin’ Chiclets,” former player Paul Bissonnette voiced allegations that Babcock asked players to show him pictures of their families

These allegations were denied by both Babcock and Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner (38).

“When meeting with our players and staff, I asked them to share family photos from their cell phones to get to know them better,” Babcock said.

“These meetings were very important and useful, not only for me, but also for our players and staff. And to portray them like that is irresponsible and completely inaccurate.”

Jenner said Babcock asked him about his family, his heritage and his upcoming wedding, along with conversations about hockey.

“Then he asked me if I had any pictures of my family and I was happy to share some with him,” Jenner said. “He showed me pictures of his family.”

Bissonnette responded to the statements with a profane social media post asking Babcock to stop.

“It’s as simple as sending the people in the trainer’s room on the spot and asking them to connect their phones to Airplay mode and harassing them.” Bissonnette said on X, the platform officially known as Twitter. “I’ve had countless players confirm it.”

Bissonnette posted screenshots of text messages he received – supposedly from someone familiar with the team and/or Babcock – in which he said he “did it in Toronto and has already done it to the guys in Columbus.” .

Johnny Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets’ biggest star and highest-paid player, said at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in suburban Las Vegas that he had great interactions with Babcock, starting with a 45-minute get-to-know-you session the weekend of Jenner’s wedding.

Bissonnette followed up on Twitter, saying his reports were “confirmed by countless players.”

Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau (13) called Babcock’s approach “cool and unique”

WARNING: THE TWEET BELOW CONTAINS INSTRUCTIONAL LANGUAGE

Gaudreau said Babcock asked him for family photos and the coach showed his own to create some familiarity.

“I just think it was a really cool and unique way to get to know your player,” Gaudreau said.

“I thought it would be a good little starting point for us to get to know each other.”

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he spoke with NHL Players’ Association deputy executive director Ron Hainsey and that the league and union investigated the situation and found nothing amiss.

“(Hainsey’s) reports indicate that the players involved had no concerns whatsoever about the interactions,” Daly said.

“They were not unreasonable, they were not inappropriate and to the extent that they were alleged, it was a misjudgment.”

Since his resignation as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019, reports of Babcock’s adherence to polarizing and outdated coaching techniques have come to light

Babcock is back in the league after a nearly four-year absence.

When the 2008 Stanley Cup-winning coach was fired by Toronto in 2019, reports surfaced of some polarizing old-school coaching techniques, including asking Maple Leafs player Mitch Marner to rank teammates from hardest-working to least to list hard-working teammates.

After taking the job in Columbus in July, Babcock said he developed as a coach and learned to better deal with players.

“Change in all of us takes time,” Babcock said over the summer. “I think that gave me a chance to get out of my body and take a look at what I was doing and understand that you had to change, you had to grow.”