The Edmonton Oilers are consulting with the NHL Players’ Association to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock as their head coach, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.
Dreger adds if it’s determined an investigation is required to move forward, sources say the National Hockey League would manage it and at this stage, the NHLPA has declined to comment.
Babcock, 63, last coached in the NHL during the 2019-20 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He took the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coaching job three years later 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 and then-Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen called Babcock’s hiring “a mistake” as part of a statement.
Babcock began his head coaching career in the NHL with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2002 and took over as Detroit Red Wings head coach in 2005. He helped lead the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup victory in 2008 and made the playoffs in each of his 10 years with the franchise. He then signed an eight-year, $50 million deal to take the Toronto Maple Leafs’ head job ahead of the 2015-16 season and spent four and a half seasons in Toronto before his firing in November of 2019.
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 well as winning gold at the World Junior Championship (1997), Men’s World Championship (2004) and World Cup of Hockey (2016).
The Oilers are in the midst of a head coaching search after firing Kris Knoblauch last month. Edmonton had reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of Knoblauch’s first two seasons but were bounced in the opening round by the Anaheim Ducks this year.
The Oilers expressed interest in interviewing former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, but Vegas has withheld permission to date.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun notes he would not be surprised if DJ Smith wound up on Babcock’s staff if he re-enters the league in Edmonton. Smith spent this past season as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings but lost out on the full-time job as Peter Laviolette was hired as the team’s new head coach on Monday.
