Mike Babcock is the CM Punk of NHL Head Coaches

It is no surprise that where Mike Babcock goes, controversy follows. Similar to a professional wrestler named CM Punk. After what happened with Punk and AEW, where he got into another backstage altercation not only with a fellow wrestler but with his boss, Tony Khan, the company had no choice but to terminate his contract. Will Mike Babcock suffer the same fate?

As with Punk, Babcock is a polarizing figure. Both have baggage they have to carry wherever they go. Thus, when an incident or allegation is brought up, as we saw the other day on Spittin’ Chicklets Podcast by Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney involving Mike Babock, you know there is a storm to follow.

Mike Babcock has allegedly been asking various Blue Jackets to see their phones then AirPlaying their photos on his office TV.

?: https://t.co/sFJxtm8Pp2 pic.twitter.com/zsiql2uJ5x

— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) September 12, 2023

Just as we saw with Punk and AEW, remember there are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth.

After this allegation came out, Babcock and the Blue Jackets released statements along with players like Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. Jenner was named in the allegation on the podcast. Both felt these meetings were productive and did not cross a line. The NHL also felt the conversations were fine and did not cross a line.

However, Bissonnette and others doubled down on the initial allegations. Again, we will see once the NHLPA gets done with their investigation, the truth will come out.

As we saw with Punk in his altercations in AEW with Jack Perry and the Elite (Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks) there is always a group looking to take the other person down, regardless of if that person has really changed or not.

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Now, how does this relate to Babcock, you might ask. Like Punk, Babcock has a reputation for being a bad guy. Both are “organizational cancers” that bring star power but also access baggage. Both can help you win, but when something comes up, it is usually those guys caught in the controversy.

We have all heard the stories of his bullying tactics and intimidation during his days with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Regardless of what you think and who you believe and what side you are on. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported, there is a group wanting Babcock to fail. Unjust or not. Fair or unfair, that is the world we live in.

See where this story is heading. Like Babcock, a group of individuals in AEW wanted Punk to fail. Now, Punk did not cross privacy lines as alleged by the Podcast. No. But both have a reputation they need to overcome. Similar to how Jack Eichel had to overcome his reputation of being a bad teammate. But he did not have the baggage these two have.

The question that keeps coming up is how Babcock asks for these photos, and that will determine his fate. Did he demand to see photos and phones as a power trip, or was brought up in conversation in a way after the players talked about their summers? Again, Babcock isn’t denying that he did not ask to see phones or pictures. It is just a bizarre and weird situation that he has done before.

But like Punk, Babcock’s run in the NHL had to be perfect. No slip-ups because of his past. Punk needed a perfect run as well. He could not get into any altercations. He needed to stay out of the dirt sheets in his second run with the company. Babcock could not go back to his old ways because of what he was saying about mental health and communication and how he changed as a person.

However, what we heard about at All In was the breaking point for AEW. Again we will never know the true story in that situation. What we do know is that Punk got into a heated and violent exchange with Tony Khan the President and CEO of AEW after his match and told him he was done. But you have to wonder in the situation with Punk like we are seeing with Babcock, both being set up to fail from the start because of the group of people that do not like him.

Again, neither Punk nor Babcock are angels. Both have massive egos. Look, Mike Babcock took every cent he could from the Maple Leafs before taking the Columbus job. That tells you right there who you are dealing with. They like attention and hold a lot of power. So you have to see what comes of it.

In both situations, it is a game of broken telephone because we are not in the room and were not present at the time of these events. However, you can see that both Babcock and Punk are divisive figures in their professions.

Though controversy sells, being labeled the CM Punk of NHL Head Coaches is not a good thing. Mike Babcock is just one of those figures that you either love or hate. But as with Punk, you are going to watch when he is on your TV.