Coaching and management changes around the league

[Zee]

I mean unless there's new/worse details I'm still not sure this seems worthy of this level of attention, but if players were uncomfortable with it they're obviously fully entitled to bring those concerns up the chain.

I'm also realizing that it probably says a lot about the NHLPA that these players seemed to think they were better off going to Paul Bissonnette than their union with these concerns.

It's not surprising at all given how the NHL and NHLPA handle things internally with no media attention, i.e. they love to sweep everything under the rug, nothing to see here.  As soon as it gets out in a media report than something might be done about it.

 

[herman]

https://x.com/firstup1050/status/1702668903644537310
Dreger is usually just a mouthpiece for trial balloons, so this is quite the floater.

 

[bustaheims]

Dreger is usually just a mouthpiece for trial balloons, so this is quite the floater.

Oh, it's a floater, alright. Just needs a good flush.

 

[Bullfrog]

Dreger is usually just a mouthpiece for trial balloons, so this is quite the floater.

Oh, it's a floater, alright. Just needs a good flush.

absolutely. I think it was a mistake by Babcock, but at most this is a conversation with his boss about sensibility.

But the comment about the younger ones feeling uncomfortable is what I was referring to earlier. Babcock is intimidating due to his personality, age, experience, etc. It's a position of power. He has to realize that younger players (who may or may not be comfortable with his ask) might feel coerced into doing something they don't want to do, even if it's innocuous.

 

[cw]

I think the problem is that there isn't enough information to actually form an opinion, which leaves many of us filling in the gaps with our own assumptions, which is really bad reporting.  It's reporting for the sake of controversy, and they are wrapping it in the guise of trying to do right by the players.

....

So without knowing how the whole thing shook out, it's really hard to judge whether this is something that is bad or good.

I'm with this. Need more facts before concluding anything.

They shouldn't smear someone in the media when the facts are not solid.

There was a discrete way of handling this.

 

[OldTimeHockey]

I think if we're hoping that a guy that got punched in the face for living, on a podcast named Spittin' Chicklets is going to have some sort of morals, we're hooped.

That said, buffoons like Dreger should shut their yaps.

 

[Zee]

I think the problem is that there isn't enough information to actually form an opinion, which leaves many of us filling in the gaps with our own assumptions, which is really bad reporting.  It's reporting for the sake of controversy, and they are wrapping it in the guise of trying to do right by the players.

....

So without knowing how the whole thing shook out, it's really hard to judge whether this is something that is bad or good.

I'm with this. Need more facts before concluding anything.

They shouldn't smear someone in the media when the facts are not solid.

There was a discrete way of handling this.

Normally I'd agree, but this is Babcock we're talking about.  Like I originally said I'm not willing to give that guy the benefit of the doubt based on his history.

 

[Redleaf]

Jeez. The season can?t start soon enough.

 

[herman]

https://twitter.com/RealKyper/status/1702740926286778641
Uh, sounds like they heard something(s)

https://x.com/TLNdc/status/1702141867851149772
https://x.com/FirstUp1050/status/1701976648478871704

 

[cabber24]

I have a hard time believing there is anything to this story but if the NHL is investigating I guess there would need to be more of a reason than Bizz running his mouth.

 

[Zee]

I have a hard time believing there is anything to this story but if the NHL is investigating I guess there would need to be more of a reason than Bizz running his mouth.

I believe that if some player refused to show his family pics or whatever else Babcock wanted to "get to know the guy" he would be punished with less playing time and healthy scratches. "Not a team player"

 

[Peter D.]

This story still seems to me to be blown out of proportion more than it needs to be.

I don't see the harm asking the players to see photos of their family as a means to get to know them on a personable level.

Now, if he asked them to hand over their phone and he was scrolling through the pics at his discretion, then yeah, that is creepy.  No guy wants someone else looking at their phone (particularly their wife or significant other haha).

As mentioned above, if this was Dubas he'd be considered a saint being so personable.  But it being Babcock, who is known to be an unsympathetic asshole, he will not be given any benefit of the doubt.  Even still, I think this is relatively harmless, provided he's not scrolling through and stumbling across a bunch of inappropriate private photos.

 

[Guilt Trip]

This story still seems to me to be blown out of proportion more than it needs to be.

I don't see the harm asking the players to see photos of their family as a means to get to know them on a personable level.

Now, if he asked them to hand over their phone and he was scrolling through the pics at his discretion, then yeah, that is creepy.  No guy wants someone else looking at their phone (particularly their wife or significant other haha).

As mentioned above, if this was Dubas he'd be considered a saint being so personable.  But it being Babcock, who is known to be an unsympathetic jerk, he will not be given any benefit of the doubt.  Even still, I think this is relatively harmless, provided he's not scrolling through and stumbling across a bunch of inappropriate private photos.

Totally disagree. You don't need to see my PERSONAL pics to get to know me. It's one thing for a player to volunteer them and another to ask to see them. And asking a  player who doesn't want to share puts them in a very awkward position seeing they will most likely feel pressure to show them because of Babs' power. Add in It's creepy.
There's a reason they're expanding the investigation.

 

[princedpw]

I don't see the harm asking the players to see photos of their family as a means to get to know them on a personable level.

Now, if he asked them to hand over their phone and he was scrolling through the pics at his discretion, then yeah, that is creepy.  No guy wants someone else looking at their phone (particularly their wife or significant other haha).

It seems pretty easy to ask a perfectly acceptable, non-confrontational question such as ?I would love to get to know you. Do you have any pictures of places you?ve been or fun times you?ve had that you?d like to share and chat about??  And to move on if somebody says ?I don?t have any good pictures but here?s a fun story ??

And then there?s the opposite ?give me your phone so I can creepily invade your privacy and look at all your pictures?

It wouldn?t be surprising if the truth of what happened was somewhere in the middle and is being distorted one way or another by second hand accounts in the media.

 

[Peter D.]

This story still seems to me to be blown out of proportion more than it needs to be.

I don't see the harm asking the players to see photos of their family as a means to get to know them on a personable level.

Now, if he asked them to hand over their phone and he was scrolling through the pics at his discretion, then yeah, that is creepy.  No guy wants someone else looking at their phone (particularly their wife or significant other haha).

As mentioned above, if this was Dubas he'd be considered a saint being so personable.  But it being Babcock, who is known to be an unsympathetic jerk, he will not be given any benefit of the doubt.  Even still, I think this is relatively harmless, provided he's not scrolling through and stumbling across a bunch of inappropriate private photos.

Totally disagree. You don't need to see my PERSONAL pics to get to know me. It's one thing for a player to volunteer them and another to ask to see them. And asking a  player who doesn't want to share puts them in a very awkward position seeing they will most likely feel pressure to show them because of Babs' power. Add in It's creepy.
There's a reason they're expanding the investigation.

Does a teacher who asks their students to bring in photos of their family for a family tree or a timeline cross the line?

If someone who I'm chatting with, whether I know them or barely do says, "You have three kids...you're busy and blessed...do you mind sharing a photo of them so I can see what they look like?", I don't take it as anything more than curiosity and happily oblige. 

Now, if someone says, "You have a teenage daughter eh...would love to see a picture of her," then I'd take that as downright creepy.

Who the heck knows where this story falls.  I'd like to think Babcock is not stupid to have this be anything more than genuine interest in getting to know a player on a personal level.  Since this was done with every player, I also don't feel he was picking on or isolating certain players, nor made it an attempt to stumble on scandalous or nude photos or something.

 

[Bullfrog]

Does a teacher who asks their students to bring in photos of their family for a family tree or a timeline cross the line?

If someone who I'm chatting with, whether I know them or barely do says, "You have three kids...you're busy and blessed...do you mind sharing a photo of them so I can see what they look like?", I don't take it as anything more than curiosity and happily oblige. 

Now, if someone says, "You have a teenage daughter eh...would love to see a picture of her," then I'd take that as downright creepy.

Who the heck knows where this story falls.  I'd like to think Babcock is not stupid to have this be anything more than genuine interest in getting to know a player on a personal level.  Since this was done with every player, I also don't feel he was picking on or isolating certain players, nor made it an attempt to stumble on scandalous or nude photos or something.

Firstly, there's a big difference between someone randomly wanting to see pictures and someone like Babcock who is in a position of power (perceived or real is irrelevant.) This is the bigger issue.

Secondly, finding it creepy to show a picture of your teenage daughter but not your younger kids is really a personal judgment on your part. You're deciding it's creepy. This is the issue with Babcock. While it may seem totally normal and innocent to him (and to half the team who obliges), he must understand that he can't put the players in that position.

Maybe after he's gotten to know them, it'd be a bit more appropriate.

 

[Deebo]

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1703495344523227303

https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1703496865197461820

https://twitter.com/BlueJacketsNHL/status/1703499711485792316

Just amazing.

 

[herman]

Wow

https://x.com/reporterchris/status/1703501337747423373
Beyond being a distraction, I don?t know how he could?ve possibly coached the team after this anyway. Would?ve been way too easy to undermine anything he tried to do.

 

[Joe S.]

That?s a shame.

 

[Zee]

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1703495344523227303

https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1703496865197461820

https://twitter.com/BlueJacketsNHL/status/1703499711485792316

Just amazing.

Lol