The National Hockey League Players’ Association has asked the NHL to move forward with an investigation into the allegations Mike Babcock invaded players’ privacy during his time in Columbus, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.
Dreger reported on Monday that the Edmonton Oilers were consulting with the NHLPA to see if there were any objections that needed to be resolved before they could potentially hire Babcock, stemming from his time as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Babcock was hired as the Blue Jackets’ head coach in July of 2023, but resigned before the season started after a report from the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast indicated he had asked players to share personal photos from their mobile devices.
The situation was investigated by the NHL Players’ Association before Babcock announced his resignation.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the NHL is awaiting word from the Oilers in regards to their plans with Babcock before taking any action.
If the Oilers want to hire Babcock, the NHL will go head with the investigation per the NHLPA’s request.
Babcock owns a career regular-season head coaching record of 700-418-164 with 19 ties. He also coached Team Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014, as was at the helm for gold at the World Junior Championship (1997), Men’s World Championship (2004) and World Cup of Hockey (2016).
