The Columbus Blue Jackets made the controversial decision to hire former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock as their new bench boss. Star defenseman Zach Werenski already gave his take on the decision. Now, star forward Johnny Gaudreau is speaking about his new head coach.

Gaudreau participated in a Q&A with NHL.com recently when the topic of Babcock came up. The recently-turned 30-year-old shared his impression of Babcock from a recent discussion the two had.

“Talked to ‘Babs' a little bit. Seems like a really good dude. Got to chat with him for about 45 minutes to an hour when I was in Columbus for Boone Jenner's wedding. We picked each other's brains for a little bit and got off to the right footstep there,” the Blue Jackets star told NHL.com.

Babcock has not coached in the NHL since 2019. Allegations of a toxic locker room environment surfaced after his firing from the Maple Leafs. One former player even called Babcock the worst person they've ever met.

For what it's worth, Babcock did admit to wrongdoings in his past. And he is looking forward to the upcoming season. Gaudreau, too, is excited to move forward with a coach such as Mike Babcock behind the bench.

“We need that hard-nosed coach that's going to push us in practices and in games. I'm excited to get out there and start the season off with him, and I think we're going to have a good year this year,” Gaudreau said.

The Blue Jackets finished as the third-worst team in the NHL this past season. Johnny Gaudreau was one of their best players, however. He scored 21 goals and 74 points in 80 games during his first year in Columbus.