Edmonton Oilers Hire Mike Babcock as Head Coach After NHL Investigation Clearance

The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that they have hired Mike Babcock as their new head coach, following the NHL's clearance of him after investigating his 2023 conduct with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Babcock, 63, returns to the NHL bench for the first time since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in November 2019, ending a seven-year absence from coaching in the league. He replaces Kris Knoblauch, who was dismissed in May after the Oilers' first-round playoff loss to Anaheim, despite leading the team to consecutive Stanley Cup finals in 2024 and 2025.

Babcock brings substantial championship credentials, having guided the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup victory in 2008 and leading Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014. He will be tasked with securing a championship for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the league's elite forwards who have yet to win a Cup despite their decade-long tenure with Edmonton. Babcock's 700 regular season victories and 90 playoff victories rank 12th and 10th respectively in NHL history. D.J. Smith, who previously served as an assistant under Babcock in Toronto and most recently held interim coaching roles in Ottawa and Los Angeles, has been named associate coach on Babcock's staff.

Babcock's hiring comes with significant controversy stemming from his 2023 stint with Columbus. He signed a two-year, US$8 million contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1, 2023, but resigned just before training camp commenced that September following an investigation into reports that he had requested personal photographs from players as a means of getting to know them—conduct criticized as an invasion of privacy. When news emerged of Edmonton's interest in hiring him, the NHL Players' Association requested the league conduct a formal review. The NHL concluded its investigation and issued a statement indicating it found nothing to prevent Babcock from being employed by a team.

Babcock's past coaching practices have drawn criticism from former players, who have characterized his methods as bullying and old-school. Former Toronto Maple Leafs player Daniel Winnik recently stated that Babcock was "the only guy that's ever made me hate hockey," adding "I just hated coming to the rink." Retired defenseman Mike Commodore, who played briefly for Babcock in Detroit in 2011, expressed concern this spring on the "Clearing the Crease" podcast about the decision to give Babcock another position of authority. A 2019 report indicated that Babcock had asked Mitch Marner to rank teammates by work ethic and subsequently shared the rankings with the team. Former Red Wings player Johan Franzen told Swedish media that Babcock was the worst person he had ever met and that he was once terrified to attend the rink.

Despite these concerns, the Oilers opted to pursue Babcock given the limited pool of available coaching candidates and the urgency to compete for a championship with their star players still in their prime. The team was unable to interview 2023 Stanley Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy, whom the Vegas Golden Knights had fired in March; Vegas denied Edmonton's request to interview their division rival's coach, leaving Cassidy under contract for one additional year. Babcock's most recent playoff success came in 2012-13, when his Red Wings advanced past the first round before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals.