Mike Babcock Returns to NHL Coaching as Edmonton Oilers Head Coach
Seven years after coaching his last NHL game, Mike Babcock is making a dramatic return to the league. The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday that the 63-year-old from Saskatoon has been hired as the team’s new head coach, following weeks of speculation about the position.
A New Chapter in Edmonton
At an introductory news conference at Rogers Place, Babcock expressed his excitement about joining the franchise. “Today is a little like 2002 when I came to Anaheim. You join the best league in the world and you feel a sense of gratitude,” he said. “It’s an incredible place. I’m from Western Canada. The Oil has fans like no other.”
Babcock revealed that he had already met with several of the team’s executives and top players, including captain Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman, describing the conversations as “phenomenal.” He noted that interacting with star players who are eager to win and willing to adapt was “pretty exciting as a coach.”
He takes over for Kris Knoblauch, who was fired following the Oilers’ first-round playoff loss to Anaheim this year. The Oilers received clearance from the NHL to hire Babcock after the league completed an investigation into his conduct during his brief tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023. That investigation was conducted at the request of the NHL Players’ Association after reports surfaced about Edmonton’s interest in Babcock.
A Storied Coaching Career
Babcock brings extensive experience to the Oilers. He previously coached parts of 16 seasons with Anaheim, Detroit, and Toronto, and led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup title in 2007-08. He last coached an NHL game on November 19, 2019, a 4-2 Maple Leafs loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and was released the next day due to Toronto’s poor start to the season.
His coaching journey began after a successful stint with the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs. He joined Anaheim’s American Hockey League affiliate in Cincinnati before being named the Ducks’ head coach before the 2002-03 season. In his very first year, he led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the New Jersey Devils.
After the 2004-05 lockout, Babcock moved to the Red Wings as a free agent and spent ten seasons in Detroit. The Red Wings made the playoffs every single season under his leadership and appeared in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals against Pittsburgh in 2008 and 2009, winning the championship in 2008.
Following his time in Detroit, Babcock signed an eight-year, $50 million contract with Toronto before the 2014-15 season. The Maple Leafs made three straight playoff appearances under his guidance but lost in the first round each time, including painful seven-game losses to Boston in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Controversial Methods Draw Scrutiny
Babcock’s hiring has not come without controversy. His coaching methods have drawn significant criticism over the years from former players. After Toronto fired him, forward Mitch Marner confirmed that as a rookie, Babcock had asked him to rank his teammates on work ethic and then shared those results with players. Former Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri wrote in his 2024 memoir that Babcock had training staff evaluate players’ gym efforts and discussed those evaluations in front of teammates, damaging trust in the locker room.
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen called Babcock the “worst person” he ever met, and former teammate Chris Chelios later said that Babcock insulted Franzen so severely during their time in Detroit that he suffered a nervous breakdown. Retired defenseman Mike Commodore, who briefly played for Babcock in Detroit, publicly criticized the decision to give him another coaching opportunity, saying it sent the wrong message about mental health in the sport.
Daniel Winnik, who played for Babcock in Toronto, called him “the only guy who ever made me hate hockey,” adding, “He’s just a bully.”
The situation with Columbus in 2023 further intensified the scrutiny. After signing a two-year, $8 million contract with the Blue Jackets on July 1, 2023, Babcock resigned shortly before the start of training camp amid an investigation into reports that he had invaded players’ privacy. Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette reported on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that he was told Babcock asked players during one-on-one meetings to look at photos on their phones and then stream them on his television. Babcock and Columbus captain Boone Jenner issued a joint statement calling the report “a gross misrepresentation.”
Babcock Commits to Evolution
Despite the controversies, the Oilers opted to hire a head coach with deep experience and success at both the NHL and international levels, driven by the urgency to win while superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain on the roster. It has been some time since a Babcock-led team enjoyed deep playoff success — the last time he led a team past the first round was in 2012-13, when the Red Wings lost in the Western Conference semifinals to the eventual champion Chicago Blackhawks.
Babcock acknowledged at the press conference that the game and the approach to managing players have changed, and that coaching styles must evolve. “As a coach, general manager and national ice hockey team, it is so important that everyone is on the same page,” he said. “There will be a lot of hard communication — but as long as that communication is straightforward and behind closed doors and respectful of each other, you have a chance to improve the organization and become better.”
International Success and Coaching Staff
On the international stage, Babcock has an impressive track record. He led Canada to gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2016 Ice Hockey World Championships, the 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships.
Joining Babcock’s staff in Edmonton is associate coach DJ Smith, a former Toronto assistant under Babcock who later served as head coach of the Ottawa Senators for more than five seasons.
After stints at the University of Vermont and the University of Saskatchewan, Babcock had announced in 2022 that he had retired from coaching before making his brief and tumultuous return with Columbus in 2023. Now, with a fresh start in Edmonton and a roster built around two of the league’s most dynamic offensive talents, Babcock will look to write a new chapter in a career that has been defined by both remarkable achievements and persistent controversy.
