- The NHL cleared Mike Babcock to coach again after reviewing his Columbus tenure
- The Oilers are expected to make the hire official as early as next week
- Read below for the league and NHLPA statements and the full backstory
Mike Babcock is cleared to coach in the NHL again.
The league wrapped up its investigation into Babcock’s short, messy run with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and found no reason to keep him out of a job. That opens the door for the Edmonton Oilers to make him their next head coach, with a formal hire expected as soon as early next week.
The NHL released its statement Thursday afternoon:
“The League has completed its review of Mike Babcock’s tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith,” the statement read. “Our investigation has concluded that, even in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.”
The NHLPA pushed for that review in the first place, and the union didn’t exactly throw a party over the outcome. The players’ association made its feelings known in a response of its own.
“While we found the allegations of Mike Babcock’s conduct as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach very concerning, the league has decided that there is no current basis on which to restrict his employment,” the NHLPA said. “Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches.”
Edmonton has been pointed at Babcock for a while now. The Oilers reportedly settled on him nearly two weeks ago and were just waiting on the league to clear the path. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says the hire could be official within days.
Here’s Friedman with the timeline:
Babcock hasn’t run an NHL bench since the Maple Leafs fired him in 2019. Columbus gave him another shot in 2023, but he resigned before coaching a single regular-season game.
The allegations were ugly. Reports said he asked players to hand over their phones, scrolled through their camera rolls, and put their personal photos up on a screen in front of the group.
His reputation was already shaky before that. Johan Franzen once called him “the worst person I have ever met,” and his Toronto run included making rookie Mitch Marner rank his teammates by work ethic and then sharing the list with the room. After the Columbus mess, then-Blue Jackets president John Davidson admitted the team “made a mistake” hiring him.
The league opened this review last week at the union’s request, after word got out that Edmonton wanted him.
At 63, Babcock lands one more NHL job, and Edmonton is betting that the coach matters more than the baggage.
