Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that Spittin’ Chiclets guys claimed Mike Babcock checked Boone Jenner phone to see what kind of guy he is while in Columbus during their podcast.
Jenner echoed his coach’s feelings, claiming the pictures helped the two get off on the right foot ahead of the new season.
“While meeting with Babs he asked me about my family and where I’m from, my upcoming wedding and hockey-related stuff,” Jenner said. “He then asked if I had pictures of my family and I was happy to share some with him. He showed me pictures of his family.
Podcast host Paul Bissonnette, a former NHL player and current NHL TV analyst, reported that Babcock had asked multiple players for their phones during initial meetings. Pictures on the phones, Bissonnette said, were then shown on a TV in Babcock’s office via Airplay.
“He gets to Columbus,” Bissonnette said on the podcast, “and one of the first things he does is he calls in Boone Jenner, the captain of the f—ing team, and says, ‘I want to see the photos in your phone. I want to know what type of person you are.’”
The Blue Jackets haven’t even opened training camp yet, and already, new coach Mike Babcock is alleged to have crossed the line with his players.
The Blue Jackets coach, who was fired by Toronto in 2019 and later accused of verbally and mentally abusing multiple NHL players, denied allegations made Tuesday on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that he had scoured the cellphone pictures of Blue Jackets players during get-to-know-you meetings.
Babcock and Jenner each released statements via the Blue Jackets, claiming the meeting has been grossly mischaracterized.
“While meeting with our players and staff I asked them to share, off their phones, family pictures as part of the process of getting to know them better. There was absolutely nothing more to it than that,” Babcock said.
In a subsequent, brief conversation with The Athletic, Babcock portrayed the exchange of pictures as an innocent project to get to know each other better before the season. He emphatically denied that players were forced to share all of their pictures with him. He said they were allowed to choose the pictures that were shared.
“(Bissonnette’s version) couldn’t be anything further from the truth,” Babcock told The Athletic. “They sit in my office, their phone in their hand, and they scroll through.”
“I thought it was a great first meeting and good way for us to start to build a relationship. To have this blown out of proportion is truly disappointing.”
Star Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau backed Babcock and Jenner publicly, saying the allegations were “shocking” to him and that his interactions with his new coach have only been positive.
