After days of dealing with the fallout of the controversy regarding how he handled viewing players photos on their phones, Mike Babcock officially resigned today from his head coach role with the team.

“Upon reflection, it has become clear that continuing as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets was going to be too much of a distraction,” Babcock said in his resignation statement.

“While I’m disappointed to not have had the opportunity to continue the work we’ve begun, I know it’s in the best interest of the organization for me to step away at this time. I wish everyone in the organization well in the upcoming season.”

Babcock was under fire after Paul Bissonnette of the Spittin’ Chicklets podcast first made the accusation that Babcock had been asking players to look through the photos on their phones.

The Blue Jackets quickly responded with a PR reply that stated Babcock had asked players to share photos of their families as part of an opportunity to get to know his players well.

As part of that statement, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner had backed up Babcock’s claim that there was nothing more than a family angle to Babcock’s antics.

Bissonnette maintained his story, saying he wasn’t backing down and was going to stick up for the players.

While star players and veterans who spoke publicly seemed to have no issue, several of the team’s younger or fringe players described a different story, prompting the NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh, and former NHLer Ron Hainsey, who serves as assistant executive director, to fly out to Columbus to talk to several players.

The situation drew to a point of no return, culminating in Babcock’s resignation today.

His hiring was controversial even at the time it was first announced, given Babcock’s checkered past, including players who had previously played under him being vocal about how much they disliked him.

Longtime Detroit Red Wing Johan Franzen had called Babcock “the worst person” he had ever met.

Babcock also had several incidents in Toronto while coaching the Maple Leafs, including making a 19 year old rookie Mitch Marner rank his teammates from hardest working to least hardest working, and the proceeding to show the players on the bottom of Marner’s list that Marner had placed them there.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said “This was a difficult decision on everyone’s part, but one we felt necessary to ensure our focus remains on the players and the team’s upcoming season.”

Kekalainen has already been a little on the hot seat, and with the Babcock situation blowing up in his face, that heat is going to start ramping up.

In Babcock’s absence, the team announced that associate coach Pascal Vincent will be the new head coach, inking him to a two-year deal.

(Featured photo from AP)