NHLPA requests Oilers delay Mike Babcock hiring until investigation completed

Insider Frank Seravalli later reported that the NHLPA has specifically requested the NHL to delay Babcock’s hiring until a formal investigation can be completed. There is no current timeline for how long the investigation will take.

The allegations in question surfaced ahead of the Blue Jackets’ training camp for the 2023-24 season, when Babcock was set to begin his first season as their head coach. Reports came out about him invading the privacy of his players, most notably asking to look through pictures on their phone. With Babcock’s hiring already considered a controversial one, the allegations put Babcock in hot water, and he resigned from the position before playing a preseason game.

This came after his previous head coaching position with the Toronto Maple Leafs also had reports of manipulative and mentally abusive tactics towards his players surface after he was fired from the team in 2019. The most notable story from his tenure was telling then-rookie Mitch Marner during the 2016-17 season to rank his teammates by their competitiveness, with Babcock then taking that list and telling the teammates he had ranked towards the bottom. While Babcock had been fired due to poor team performance during the 2019-20 season, these reports tarnished his image and left few teams wanting to work with him until the Blue Jackets hired him in 2023.

While Babcock’s reputation has been rocky for the past seven years, he does come with plenty of success and pedigree at both the NHL and international level. During his ten-year stint with the Detroit Red Wings, he won a Stanley Cup in 2008, and in two turns as head coach of Canada’s Olympic team in 2010 and 2014, he captured gold medals on both occasions. However, even his Red Wings tenure came with controversy, as former players like Mike Commodore and Johan Franzen have spoken poorly of Babcock since their time under him.