The Columbus Blue Jackets made one of the more intriguing moves this summer across the entire NHL. And it didn't involve a trade or NHL Free Agency signing. The Blue Jackets tabbed former Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock as their successor to Brad Larsen.

Controversy has followed Babcock since his departure from the Maple Leafs in 2019. Allegations of a toxic locker room environment emerged shortly after his firing. These allegations are part of the reason the Stanley Cup-winning coach has not made it back to the NHL until now.

That said, Babcock didn't necessarily need to return. The 60-year-old bench boss won a Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Red Wings. In fact, he left Detroit as the franchise's winningest head coach. He could have sat back and essentially retired.

However, Babcock revealed to NHL.com a rather personal reason for taking the job with the Blue Jackets. His son, Michael, began working with the Ottawa Senators late last season. This summer, the younger Babcock joined the St. Louis Blues as a skill coach. This is what gave Mike Sr. the spark once again.

“Suddenly, I started watching every game, breaking down every single game,” Babcock told NHL.com. “It’s not my job to do it, but I had the clips. I had everything. We could talk about it.”

And the fit in Columbus is something that works. Babcock began his pro coaching career in Cincinnati, Ohio, and would watch Blue Jackets games when he had the chance. The veteran bench boss is very familiar with the fan base he'll work in front of.

“The city’s buzzing,” Babcock told NHL.com. “The fans in Columbus, they sold out eight of their last 10 games last year in the second-to-last spot. That’s impossible. They’re crazy,” he continued.

Babcock and the Blue Jackets kick off their 2023-24 NHL season on October 12. Columbus welcomes the Philadelphia Flyers to Nationwide Arena to begin what they hope is a major turnaround season for the franchise.