from Michael Traikos of the National Post,

Welcome to the early stages of the NHL’s #metoo movement.

If you thought Mike Babcock asking a rookie to rank his teammates from hardest-working to laziest — and then sharing that list with the rest of the team — was an example of bullying, just wait a couple of days. Every coach likely has skeletons buried in his closet. Sooner or later, they are all going to come out.

As retired NHL coach Ken Hitchcock told Postmedia News in a phone interview on Wednesday, “They’re coming for everyone.”

This is both good and bad for the NHL. While these allegations obviously put a stain on the sport, the more players who come forward will hopefully make the workplace safer for everyone involved. Behaviour, like the one that Babcock and Peters are both accused of, has no place in the NHL. At least, not anymore.

There was a time — and it was not that long ago — when abusing players through mental and physical means was the hallmark of being a hard-ass coach.

It’s why Hitchcock, who at one time was a hard-ass who ruled with an iron fist, has spent the past 48 hours trying to replay how he spent his time behind the bench. Chances are, he isn’t the only one.

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