When we are searching for answers, starting a question with who, what, where, why, or how usually helps us find what we are looking for.

Three simple letters make up my main question regarding the Edmonton Oilers’ interest in Mike Babcock: Why?

Why hire a coach with a history of belittling players — a coach who didn’t even last two and a half months or coach one game in his last stint with Columbus? Because he won a Stanley Cup in 2008? What other answer is there? He hasn’t coached an NHL game since November 2019. He hasn’t won a playoff series since 2013, so the only straw they are grasping at is, “He won a Cup 18 years ago?” It seems the organization is placing a lot of emphasis on that Cup while overlooking all of Babcock’s transgressions as head coach. These aren’t rumours whispered online. These are documented situations, spoken on the record, from his time with Anaheim, Detroit, Toronto, and a few short months with Columbus. How much more evidence do you need to see his patterns?

When Babcock’s name was linked to the Oilers three weeks ago, I outlined his past history of embarrassing and disrespecting players like Mike Commodore, Johan Franzen, Mike Modano, Mitch Marner, and the Columbus Blue Jackets. I won’t revisit those here, but if you want a quick reminder of the human being the Oilers are interested in, feel free to read.

This tweet from Darren Dreger illustrates that it is pertinent to ask why the Oilers would go down this road.

Darren Dreger

@DarrenDreger

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If it’s determined an investigation is required to move forward, sources say the NHL would manage it. At this stage, the NHLPA has declined to comment.

Darren Dreger

@DarrenDreger

Sources: The Edmtn Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock. Amid allegations of invading players privacy, Babcock resigned in CBJ as Head Coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required.

6:58 PM · Jun 8, 2026

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Can you think of another situation where an NHL organization reached out to the NHLPA to see if any further investigation is needed before hiring a coach? That alone should be enough of a red flag to stay away, but not for the Oilers.

Ryan Rishaug reported that the Oilers’ leadership group of players is okay with hiring Babcock.

Ryan Rishaug

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Player leadership - for clarification

Ryan Rishaug

@TSNRyanRishaug

Sounds like the Oiler leadership group is firmly behind the Oilers going down this path. Babcock did meet with them to discuss things. It’s a critical time within this organization and it would seem they feel whatever negative publicity may result from this is trumped by the

11:38 PM · Jun 8, 2026

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Which leads to my next question: Who is on board? The best players? Established players, who are in the prime of their careers or who play a significant role on the team? It is great they are on board, but those aren’t the players Babcock has bullied in the past. Like most bullies, Babcock went after those he deemed weak, vulnerable, or replaceable. Bullies want to show dominance over those who aren’t in a position to push back — rookies, aging veterans, depth players, players who are afraid to speak out, or players the head coach knows don’t matter as much.

Don’t fool yourself. There is a hierarchy in sports and dressing rooms. If the number six or seven defensemen speak out, they are easily replaced. Look at the examples in my previous article of who Babcock went after. An unproven player, an aging veteran, a veteran who started to produce less, and a rookie.

There are others. Dan Robson and Katie Strang wrote this article in May of 2024, outlining Babcock’s actions as a coach. There is a clear pattern in how he treated players and which ones he’d go after. Here are a few examples from the article.

ANAHEIM

In his first NHL training camp, Babcock sidelined three well-liked veterans: Jason York, Denny Lambert and German Titov. Lambert and York said they arrived at the Ducks training camp to find their names had been removed from their stalls and gear cleared out. Babcock told them they could not be around the team at all, they said. The players practiced alone on empty ice in the afternoon.

At the time,........

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