If you were surprised when the early summer news about Mike Babcock’s potential return to coaching began to bubble to the surface, you weren’t alone.
As we now know nearly one official month into his tenure as Blue Jackets coach, there were teeth to the reports. And we know of the connection between Babcock, John Davidson, and Jarmo Kekalainen.
"I've known (Babcock) on a personal level since the late 90s when he was coaching in the Western Hockey League's Spokane Chiefs," Kekalainen said at Babcock's introductory press conference on July 1.
The number of years the three have known one another, to the length of interviewing and the extent Blue Jackets brass went to within NHL circles to learn more about Babcock the coach but just as importantly Babcock the person, and what felt more like a risk has become more the feeling of a calculated hire that fits exactly where the franchise stands today.
"I have a big network, Kekalainen said. "I've been doing this for a long time. I talked to people that I know are not only Hall of Fame hockey people but Hall of Fame people and with character. That type of conversation is really important to me. They're trustworthy people that I have a really good and long relationship with.
"All of the feedback from those people that had worked with (Babcock) for years a lot closer than I got to know were positive.
"Everybody said (Babcock)'s a great coach but more importantly said (Babcock) is a real good person and that was basically unanimous from everybody that I trust that I spoke with."
Davidson echoed the sentiment.
"You talk to people, you get to understand people, and you get to trust people," Davidson said. "There's a recent coach who at one time was a coach here who recently went into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
"And I had a good conversation with Ken Hitchcock.
"He said, 'There's only one guy to hire'. I said 'Who are you thinking?'
"He says '(Babcock)'."
#CBJ D Zach Werenski said he recently met with new head coach Mike Babcock at the latter's Michigan home.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) July 25, 2023
"I left impressed. It kind of fired me up a little bit. I think from that point on, I just wanted to get to training camp and get the season going. We had a really good
Without Blue Jackets players explicitly admitting as much or outright saying former head coach Brad Larsen wasn’t the right coach, or that things specifically went off the rails because of anything Larsen did or didn’t do, the writing was on the wall.
Zach Werenski ultimately emphasized poor on-ice results falling on the players and mentioned the need for setting the standard higher during the Apr. 15 end-of-season press conference.
"I don't want to say the culture wasn't good at all because it was," Werenski said. We have a close group in there, but just in terms of standard, we have to set the standard higher. We've gotta make sure young guys know that this isn't acceptable.
"We know it's not acceptable. We've been on winning teams and we have to get our standard back there and that starts with us and building that culture.
"We're not far off, it's just making sure we help (the young players) get there and help this team get in the right direction."
Aside from the number of injuries that beset the team last season, and even if Larsen was set up to fail as a result, there might have been the sense that things were more loosey-goosey than they should have been.
When the Jackets hired Larsen as head coach in 2021, Larsen was seen as the best coach to uphold the accountability and standard that John Tortorella preached but with a different approach. Less confrontational.
The 'Lars Bar.'
Somewhere along the lines, the 'Lars Bar' wasn't high enough.
We can continue to question Babcock’s return to the NHL, specifically today’s NHL, and that it's been four years since he’s previously coached in the league. In spite of saying all the right things, and perhaps the experiment doesn’t work, right now, it feels like one of the first crucial ingredients for success is in action.
Player buy-in.
Aaron Portzline hit on this in The Athletic last week.
“There’s nothing like meeting with a guy in person, and I want to do all of that before camp starts,” Babcock said. “I want to get a feel for them as a person, and they get a feel for you. I want to know what they need from me so that they can be the best they can be.
“That’s what it’s been, it’s been, ‘How can I help you out, and where can we get you to?’ It’s been enjoyable. Patrik (Laine) was a great one.”
In a recent interview with @NHLNetwork's @TonyLuftman, @MikeKellyNHL, and Sam Cosentino, Johnny Gaudreau talked about his charity golf tournament and the additions of Ivan Provorov, Damon Severson, Mike Babcock, and Adam Fantilli. #CBJ https://t.co/a0DDKWQpbi
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) July 28, 2023
Without knowing all of the specifics of what’s being said in the individual meetings the new coach is having with his new team, I liken the brewing new relationship getting off similar to when the established college football head coach convinces the five-star recruit why he needs to consider his school.
Babcock has the winning pedigree and ideas on what teams, specifically his new Blue Jackets team, need to do to compete and win.
“That napkin you jot down the lines on in the summer?” Babcock said. “That usually lasts about 12 seconds into training camp."
This isn’t to suggest the Jackets players didn’t feel the same way or say the same things about Larsen as he converted from assistant to head coach, and maybe this is blind optimism but it feels a little different this time.
Just as there was a cautious optimism, at least by yours truly when Larsen’s tenure began, and the same is felt now, it’s different. At least it feels different.
Sheeeesh, Adam Fantilli.
— NHL (@NHL) July 6, 2023
(: @BlueJacketsNHL) pic.twitter.com/s8d5LJzsuv
The prospect pool and Adam Fantilli’s arrival are a big boost, especially when you consider the franchise's course today as opposed to this time two years ago. The Blue Jackets have only had moderate success and playoff tenures under veteran coaches like Hitchcock and Tortorella.
It's up to Babcock to continue the trend. There are no more excuses left to give.
Every team deals with injuries and the reason for why there were so many last season should have been examined so as to find out why and how that can be prevented. At least the amount of injuries.
In the Blue Jackets' biggest off-season to date, Kekalainen has had a good off-season. On-ice results will bear all.
