Mike Babcock resigning: Shocking revelations lead to the end of his NHL career

Babcock has had a past with negative interactions with his players. For starters, NHL Stanley Cup Winner, Johan Franzen, claimed that Babcock was "the worst (Person) I ever met. He's a bully who was attacking people." Franzen said that hew was "terrified to be at the rink" from 2011 and on. (Freep.com)

Another story of potential mistreatment from Babcock was when he directed Mitch Marner to list his teammates based off of their efforts and then showed these players where Marner ranked them, leaving Marner in tears. (Hockeyfeed.com)

On the most recent episode of the Spitting Chiclets podcast, Paul Bissonette reported that Mike Babcock had meetings with his players where he requested them to show him pictures to find out what type of person they are. The backlash from the fans were immediate and The NHLPA began an investigation into the meetings that day.

The Blue Jackets defended their coach by posting statements made by both Mike Babcock and Boone Jenner which downplayed the incidents.

Babcock said "While meeting with our players...I asked them to share, off their phones, family pictures as part of...getting to know them better...absolutely nothing more to it."

Babcock also said that the way the Spitting Chiclets podcast portrayed the meetings was "a gross misrepresentation" and "Offensive."

Team captain, Boone Jenner and assistant captain, Johnny Gaudreau both agreed that they had positive meetings with Babcock in which they felt "comfortable." With the information they gathered from these players, the NHLPA ended their investigation. They were content with the understanding that there was nothing wrong with the meetings.

On the 14th, something had changed the minds of NHLPA. Elliotte Friedman reported that It seemed that multiple young guys had been "uncomfortable" with the meetings.

There's speculation as to what was the final nail in the coffin for Babcock was but one thing is clear, that Babcock crossed a line. Frank Seravalli says that NHLPA left no option for Babcock to stay, wanting to send a message that all players must be treated with respect.

With this information, Babcock was forced to resign. Thus ending a 5-day long nightmare for the Blue Jackets. The team will hope they can focus on their upcoming training camp with out any more distractions. Interestingly, the team may face questions about their management group for hiring Babcock with his past history. We will see as the season gets closer.

Sources: Freep.com Hockeyfeed.com