The investigation into Babcock was the result of reports that he was forcing players to show him the photos on their phones. In his statement, he said that these reports were blown out of proportion, as he just wanted to get to know his players.
New details have emerged that show that isn't the case.
It is clear that scrolling through a player's phone and apps is quite different than asking to see pictures of their family, the former being a blatant invasion of privacy.
Ultimately, the NHL is a workplace, and coaches need to respect players the same way a boss would respect their employees. It seems that Babcock never understood this, and that has likely led to him never being involved in the NHL again.
Mike Babcock was already on thin ice, after being fired from his job in Toronto for similar reports of toxic actions. After it broke that he was doing similar things in Columbus, the NHLPA was quick to begin an investigation that ultimately saw his termination.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 17 | 196 ANSWERS Shocking Full Details of Mike Babcock's Resignation are Revealed Do you think Babcock will return to the NHL in any capacity in the future? | ||
| Yes | 26 | 13.3 % |
| No | 170 | 86.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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LIVE
APRIL 18, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Matthew Boldy | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Kirill Kaprizov | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Mats Zuccarello | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Joel Eriksson Ek | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ryan Hartman | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Evgeni Malkin | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jackson Blake | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jamie Drysdale | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Porter Martone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jason Robertson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bryan Rust | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Travis Sanheim | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Denver Barkey | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brock Faber | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Quinn Hughes | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Wyatt Johnston | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||