Columbus Blue Jackets lecturer Mike Babcock and captain Boone Jenner are denying allegations that Babcock acted inappropriately and violated avid gamers’ privateness when asking to look footage on their cellphones.

Former NHL participant Paul Bissonnette stated on Tuesday’s version of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that Jenner used to be requested to satisfy previous this summer time with Babcock, who requested to look photographs on Jenner’s digicam roll sooner than exhibiting them by the use of AirPlay on his place of work wall.

“While meeting with our players and staff, I asked them to share, off their phones, family pictures as part of the process of getting to know them better,” Babcock, who’s coming into his first season in the back of the Blue Jackets bench, stated in a observation immune by way of the staff Tuesday. “There was absolutely nothing more to it than that. The way this was portrayed on the ‘Spittin’ Chiclets’ podcast was a gross misrepresentation of those meetings and extremely offensive.

“Those conferences were very impressive and really helpful, now not just for me however for our avid gamers and workforce as smartly, and to have them depicted like that is irresponsible and fully misguided.”

Jenner released his own statement via the team, confirming Babcock’s intent.

“Day assembly with Babs, he requested me about my public and the place I’m from, my then wedding ceremony and hockey-related stuff,” Jenner said in the statement. “He after requested if I had photos of my public and I used to be satisfied to percentage some with him. He confirmed me photos of his public. I believed it used to be a splendid first assembly and smart way for us to begin to create a dating. To have this blown out of share is in reality disappointing.”

This isn’t the first time Babcock’s conduct with players has come under scrutiny.

As coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015 to ’19, Babcock requested in a private meeting with Mitch Marner that the forward rank his teammates’ work ethic, and then revealed the rankings back to the team. Another former player Johan Franzen, accused Babcock of being verbally abusive over the decade he played with the Detroit Red Wings.

Babcock’s past didn’t deter Columbus from hiring him on July 1 to replace the previously fired Brad Larsen. In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, Blue Jackets star forward Johnny Gaudreau said his experience with Babcock has only been positive and felt the allegations levied against him were “stunning.”

“In my view, I had a splendid assembly with him,” Gaudreau said. “We were given to percentage issues in combination, photos of our public. I used to be a negligible disappointed to look how it used to be treated and the way it got here out … however not anything you’ll do about it. We were given off to a splendid get started, had a splendid assembly with him and taking a look ahead to operating in combination.”

Bissonnette, at least, is standing behind what he reported on Tuesday’s podcast.

“Inform Babs to knock off the bulls—,” Bissonnette posted to X, previously referred to as Twitter, in accordance with Babcock’s observation. “Plenty with hanging guys at the spot within the coaches room asking them to hyperlink their telephones as much as airplay method and grilling them. I’ve had lots of avid gamers verify it.”