Following an NHL Players’ Association probe into Babcock’s behavior, the franchise made the unexpected announcement of his departure. Babcock was replaced as associate coach by Pascal Vincent, who agreed to a two-year contract that would run until the 2024–2025 season.

On the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, former NFL player Paul Bissonnette revealed that he was informed by an unnamed player that the seasoned coach would ask players to view pictures on their phones during one-on-one sessions, then broadcast the images on his TV.

In a joint statement issued by the Blue Jackets, the 60-year-old Babcock and Columbus captain Boone Jenner said that the allegation is “a terrible distortion of those meetings and exceedingly hurtful.”