The Edmonton Oilers hired Mike Babcock on Tuesday morning. That part was expected. What made it news was that the NHL had to sign off first, and the league did exactly that after completing its review of the veteran coach’s history.
Babcock becomes the 19th head coach the Oilers have employed since the franchise joined the NHL from the WHA in 1979. He’s 63 years old and has been out of the league since his messy exit from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, which triggered the league’s investigation in the first place.
General manager Stan Bowman had been signaling this hire for a while. The team didn’t bother pretending it was still considering other candidates. Once the NHL cleared Babcock, Bowman made the call official early Tuesday.
What the Numbers Say
Babcock’s regular-season record across parts of 17 NHL seasons and 1,301 games sits at 700-418-183. That’s a winning percentage that puts him in rare company. But the résumé carries weight beyond the raw math. He won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He also won Olympic gold coaching Team Canada in 2010 and 2014. Those are the kinds of credentials that make general managers overlook a lot of baggage.
The question now is whether Babcock can get a talented but inconsistent Oilers roster to finally play team defense. Edmonton has offensive firepower, but they’ve struggled to put together complete playoff runs. The belief in the front office is that Babcock’s demanding style might be what the locker room needs.
Not everyone is convinced. The controversy around Babcock hasn’t faded. The NHL investigation centered on allegations from his time in Columbus, where players described a toxic environment. The league cleared him to return, but the perception of him as a coach who pushed too hard never really went away.
Fans online had mixed reactions. Some pointed to his track record and said the Oilers had no choice. Others argued there were better options who didn’t come with so much history. Either way, Babcock is behind the bench now. Training camp starts in a few weeks, and that’s where the real answers will come from.
More details to follow as the Oilers schedule Babcock’s introductory press conference.
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