About the Episode

Charles welcome Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur to talk about Mike Babcock’s sudden departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bruce recently wrote a column summarizing that the times are changing in the NHL and the shift is largely in favour of the players and how they are treated. It is clear that the hard-nosed style of NHL coaches is long done. The nail in the coffin for was Babcock’s request for players’ phone pictures is a violation of boundaries, especially for young players.

In the past, the culture of hockey has historically protected successful coaches, even those with questionable behaviour, but recent events may indicate a shift in attitudes towards coaches and their treatment of players. Charles Adler and Bruce Arthur discuss how the way hockey players want to be coached has changed, with a focus on building relationships rather than yelling or playing mental games.

Also covered in this episode: Nat Erskine-Smith for thoughtful policy analysis, how politics has become more relevant in Canada due to various crises, including a housing crisis, climate change, and a lack of planning for the future, and the need for more tradespeople in the US, particularly in construction, due to the aging workforce and labor shortages. Bruce leaves us with a warning: Canada faces a “wicked problem” of demographic decline and must coordinate federal, provincial, and municipal efforts to address it.