NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL is beginning an investigation into Mike Babcock’s resignation as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2023 before he coached a game for them, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is being done privately. All coaching hires are subject to league approval.
The Players’ Association requested the investigation last week after word emerged that the Edmonton Oilers were interested in hiring Babcock. The league wanted to wait until after the Stanley Cup Final ended before delving into it, and that happened Sunday with Carolina defeating Vegas for the title.
Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets less than three months after taking the job. At the time, Babcock’s requests for personal photos from players in an attempt to get to know them drew criticism as an invasion of privacy.
The union reviewed the situation, but the NHL dropped its planned investigation of the situation when Babcock stepped down.
Babcock, who turned 63 on April 29, has not coached a game in the league since being fired by Toronto 23 games into the 2019-20 season. He coached Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2008, reached the final with the Red Wings in ’09 and Anaheim in ’03, and helped Canada win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2010 and ’14.
Once considered one of the best in the profession, former players have spoken out about Babcock’s old-school tendencies that some say can be considered bullying.
A report surfaced after the Maple Leafs fired Babcock that he had asked a player to share his ranking of teammates from hardest- to least-hardest working and then shared that with the rest of the group. Former Red Wings player Johan Franzen told a Swedish outlet that Babcock was the worst person he had ever met and said at one point he was terrified to go to the rink.
The Oilers are looking for a replacement for Kris Knoblauch after firing him following their first-round playoff exit, despite back-to-back trips to the final before that. They asked Vegas for permission to speak to recently fired coach Bruce Cassidy, but the Golden Knights rejected that request because he remains under contract through next season.
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FILE - Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings, Oct. 12, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson, File)
FILE - Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock directs his team against the Colorado Avalanche in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Feb. 12, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
A Wisconsin beagle breeding and research facility that’s been the site of recent violent protests is closing, and its remaining dogs are being taken in by a Florida rescue group.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced Monday that it has reached an agreement for the permanent closure of Ridglan Farms and the transfer of its 475 remaining beagles starting this week.
“Not one dog will remain,” Lauree Simmons, the group’s founder, said in a news conference at a farm in Wisconsin. “No more breeding, no more testing, no more anything.”
Yearslong opposition to the facility came to head in April when a large group of animal welfare activists stormed the property in an attempt to take away beagles, prompting police to use tear gas and pepper spray as they made dozens of arrests.
Some protesters were also arrested in March after they broke in and took 30 dogs from the facility, which is located in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue said some of the beagles will go to rescue groups while others will be sent to its Florida and Alabama campuses where they will be spayed, neutered, and prepared for adoption.
The group bought roughly 1,500 of the facility’s more than 2,000 beagles in April for an undisclosed price.
About 200 dogs were being transferred Monday, according to Simmons. Another 125 will be moved Tuesday. The transfer of the remaining beagles will happen in August, as they are still puppies.
Simmons called on protesters to refrain from further demonstrations as it says Ridglan Farms has committed to permanently closing its dog breeding, sales, research and testing operations.
“Our focus now should be on supporting these dogs as they transition into their new lives,” Simmons said. “These dogs will get to experience safety and a normal life for the first time.”
Simmons said her group is also “working closely” with the Trump administration to stop funding studies that subject dogs to “invasive and painful experimentation.”
Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., called Monday’s deal a “major win for animal welfare” in a post on X.
Ridglan Farms, in a statement, said all the dogs being transferred are “happy, healthy animals” with “extensive” state and federal inspection documentation.
“We hope these dogs will continue to flourish in their new homes,” the company said, adding that it hopes that the “years-long harassment campaign targeting the research facility’s owners, staff and neighbors comes to an end.”
Animal activists for years had sought to have dogs at the facility adopted, not sold to other research facilities.
Beagles are the most common breed of dog used for animal testing, primarily because of their smaller size and gentle temperament, according to Big Dog Ranch Rescue.
Ridglan Farms agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on felony animal mistreatment charges.
The firm has denied mistreating animals, but a special prosecutor determined that Ridglan Farms was performing eye procedures that violated state veterinary standards.
FILE - Beagles that were purchased from a Dane County animal research facility play outside May 12, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer, File)
