The real reason Mike Babcock was forced to step down.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock has stepped down from his role effective immediately, with Babcock being forced to resign amid yet another scandal.

No doubt we will learn more about the reasons why Babcock stepped down on Sunday over the coming days, but National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman has already shared some details regarding the stunning move. According to Friedman, there was one incident in particular that led to situation becoming untenable for Babcock.

From Friedman:

According to multiple sources, one of the most serious concerns was a meeting that occurred away from team facilities that included “several minutes” of looking through a phone. That was beyond the scope of what was initially understood to have occurred.

This sounds like a considerably more bizarre situation that what the Blue Jackets initially tried to portray in their statements regarding what had transpired behind the scenes, and would help explain why the National Hockey League Players Association felt it was important to intervene when it did.