Daniel Winnik didn’t hold back. The former NHL forward, who played under Mike Babcock with the Toronto Maple Leafs, went on First Up and made it clear he thinks the Edmonton Oilers made a mistake. And he didn’t stop there.
“He’s the only guy who made me hate hockey,” Winnik said. “I hated coming to the rink. He’s a bully.”
The Oilers hired Babcock as their next head coach despite the baggage he carried from a scandal in 2023 that forced him out of Columbus before he ever coached a game. The NHLPA investigated allegations about his conduct with the Blue Jackets and found no substantial evidence, issuing a statement that cleared him to return. But for Winnik, that doesn’t change what he lived through.
A Personal Grudge or a Pattern?
Winnik played for Babcock in Toronto during the 2014-15 season. He said he came off a career year, then suffered a high ankle sprain in Washington. He missed five games. When he came back, his skating — his best asset — wasn’t the same. And Babcock rode him hard.
“He was on me all the time,” Winnik said. “I think the way he treats people isn’t great, and that’s been well documented at this point.”
Winnik pointed out a cold fact: Babcock hasn’t won a playoff series since 2012. That’s a decade-plus of mediocrity for a guy who once hoisted a Stanley Cup in Detroit and coached Canada to Olympic gold. “Why is that your hire?” Winnik asked.
Oilers Roll the Dice Anyway
Edmonton’s front office obviously thinks Babcock can tap into the team’s window with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But the criticism isn’t just coming from Winnik. Fans online tore into the hire when it was announced. Babcock’s reputation for hard-line coaching — some call it intimidation — didn’t play well in a league that’s moved toward more player-friendly styles.
The NHLPA statement cleared him legally, but it didn’t clear him socially. “While we found the allegations concerning,” the statement read, “the League has decided that there is no current basis on which to restrict his employment. Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches.”
Winnik sees it differently. He’s not alone. Whether Babcock can win in Edmonton without breaking the room is the question nobody can answer yet. But one former player made his opinion loud and clear.
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