According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, it sounds like the NHL will clear former head coach Mike Babcock and allow him to return to the NHL as the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. While an investigation into his conduct as coach in Columbus remains underway, Johnston noted, “I’ve seen other reporting, but…I know people that were right there and kind of have more of a sense of exactly what happened…they think he’s going to be allowed to work.”
Johnston added a caveat that he doesn’t want to prejudge the investigation since there are things that might have gone on he’s unaware of, but reports that Babcock did something so bad that the NHL would keep him out seem to be exaggerated.
Babcock resigned as the coach of the Blue Jackets in 2023 when it became public he had gone through players cell phones before the season to get to know them better. Some didn’t care, while others felt uncomfortable with the exercise. When the NHLPA started to look into the matter, he walked away from the NHL and the Blue Jackets make a public statement saying they “made a mistake” in choosing to hire him.
Since that time, Babcock hasn’t been seen or heard from in the NHL. Several coaching vacancies opened up, but he wasn’t considered. Seemingly blacklisted from the league, it wasn’t until this summer when the Oilers failed in a few attempts to hire a new coach that his name came up. They wanted approval from the NHLPA and the NHL before hiring him, and rumors started to spread there was a lot more that wasn’t known about his conduct.
Johnston’s report suggests that the stories that have yet to be told are not enough to keep him from working. If so, his status could be made available in the next week, meaning the Oilers could move forward with the hiring.
Next: Darryl Sutter Is Perfect For the Oilers Coaching Death Trap
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