After firing Kris Knoblauch following a 41-30-11 season and a first-round playoff exit, the Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a new head coach.
And according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, they’re considering one with a track record of winning, but also a track record of controversy and scandal.
“Sources: The Edmtn Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock,” Dreger posted on X. “Amid allegations of invading players privacy, Babcock resigned in CBJ as Head Coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required.”
Because of his checkered past, which includes invading Columbus Blue Jackets players’ privacy by looking through personal photos on their phones, asking Mitch Marner to rank his former Toronto Maple Leafs teammates based on their effort level, bullying former Detroit Red Wings player Johan Franzen into having a nervous breakdown, healthy scratching players like Mike Modano and Mike Commodore due to a personal vendettas, and several other questionable incidents, Babcock is a lightning rod.
So when the news broke that Babcock was under consideration for the Edmonton job, where he’d coach two of the top players in the world in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, it was not received well by Oilers fans, many of whom flocked to social media to discourage the team from moving forward with such a controversial hire.
“Don’t hire that [expletive]. Are you crazy. I guess after having a coach they could push around it time for the school of hard knocks with Babs,” one fan scoffed.
“If I’m McDavid I quietly call up Edm brass, if you hire Babcock, trade me before the season starts. Normally I let you do your coach thing, and work to winning the SC here, but when it’s such a bad idea, I just can’t,” another fan exclaimed.
“We really don’t learn do we? You know what? Sure! Embrace the chaos and see what happens,” a third fan replied.
“If management hires Babcock, Connor/(Draisaitl) should go to the media immediately and demand a trade. This has to be a joke,” one user stated.
“Oilers ownership taking every opportunity to piss people off one hire after another,” remarked another user.
“Man but the mgmt of the @EdmontonOilers are a bunch of idiots if they do something as brain-dead as this. Just leave now Connor. Run very far away and someone replace Katz as owner; guy is dumb as a stump,” another fan sneered.
Dreger did report that if an investigation is needed prior to the Oilers hiring Babcock, that the NHL would handle it internally.
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