Edmonton Oilers hire Mike Babcock as head coach

sportsJun 23, 202624293

The Edmonton Oilers named 63-year-old Mike Babcock their new head coach on Tuesday and scheduled a noon media availability. The NHL completed an investigation and cleared Babcock to return to coaching, and he succeeds Kris Knoblauch behind the Oilers bench. Babcock returns to the NHL for the first time in almost seven years after resigning from the Columbus Blue Jackets following an NHLPA inquiry into his interactions with players. His hiring matters because it pairs a veteran coach with Connor McDavid on a Stanley Cup, contending roster and will shape the Oilers' locker-room culture and accountability standards.

J.J.

@jjfromkansas.bsky.social

So not only does Babcock not think he did anything wrong, but he doesn't seem like he intends to change anything about what he did. This also sounds like Mike Babcock thinks of ways to better make people feel uncomfortable. If it were coming from anybody else, I might give a more generous read

Mike Babcock says he doesn't think he crossed the line in Columbus:

"It was very evident before the year started... I hadn't benched anybody, I hadn't talked to anybody, I hadn't sat anybody out, and it was evident that we weren't together as a staff right from the get-go."

"My wife gave me a call, and she said it's time to get out of there. I've been retired, I was pretty good at it. I got back to being retired."

After a followup question about whether he thinked he crossed the line:

"No, to be honest with you, anytime you make anybody feel uncomfortable in your life, you should take a look at yourself and you should say, 'How could i do that better?'

"And I think that's what you do, is as a person, is you try to always be better at what you do. The situation in Columbus, they've had a full review, and I'm thankful, NHL and NHLPA, for doing that. It didn't work out for us. We're excited about making it work here."

2445d ago

J.J. 14

This fully reads as "I was exonerated and can't wait to do what the NHL and NHLPA have signed off on knowing full well what I do... and if I get driven out again, I can just go back to being retired without giving a shit what you think."

Mark Lazerus

@marklazerus.bsky.social

Evander Kane. Stan Bowman. Corey Perry. Mike Babcock. The Oilers have shown they're willing to touch any third rail if it can help bring a championship to the city. "Everyone here who’s skeptical, they want to see what actually happens." Story: www.nytimes.com/athletic/738...

3144d ago

Grandpa Jeff5

And sometimes an arse hat is just an arse hat. Only in the NHL do they retread the worst of humanity if they think they’ll win enough that no one will care.

Patrick M.™ 3

They'll do everything except fix the glaring problems in their roster. That franchise is the living embodiment of this...

Jerry2

Stan Bowman. This was inevitable. Letting him back in to the league told the world everything they need to know.

Hockey Chic 62

My prediction is this will blow up in their faces year 2. He'll be on his behavior right up to the point he gets comfortable in the role.

Adam Gretz

@adamgretz.bsky.social

How long has it been since Mike Babcock had real success in the NHL? Here is the list of head coaches that have won a playoff series since he last did. There are 40 of them. Including 16 that won one with multiple franchises (and two that won with three teams!)

1845d ago

Adam Gretz5

Correction: 17 with multiple franchises. Forgot about Quenneville in Anaheim.

Frank Senators 🇨🇦

@sleepenbaker.bsky.social

I can't believe Mike Babcock asked me for all my Outlook configuration settings and then later posted a screenshot of them in the locker room saying "This is how a gay guy emails"

2745d ago

Wool-Encased Tea Addict

@passeriform.bsky.social

“I don’t want to hear another word about how important mental health is for us when you literally just paved the way, cleared the way for Mike Babcock to get another opportunity in the NHL and put him in another position of power where he can abuse people,” Commodore said

1545d ago

Mika 💚

@mika.rip

Btw Mike Babcock notoriously went through players phones and forced them to show the entire team what was in their phones and also made Mitch Marner, as a rookie, privately rank his teammates from most hardworking to lazy and then SHARED THE LIST WITH THE TEAM.

2244d ago

Noah3

Johan Franzen said he had to get treatment for PTSD from Babcock's treatment of him.

clefor92.bsky.social2

Him, Joel Quenneville, and Stan Bowman all shouldn't be allowed back in the league with all the shit they've done.

RMNB

@rmnb.blog

Mike Babcock didn’t think he crossed a line with the Columbus Blue Jackets, said his wife made him resign in disaster opening press conference with Oilers

1545d ago

TSN

@tsnofficial.bsky.social

The Oilers lock up Connor Murphy on a five-year deal. The 33-year-old defenceman posted 17 points between Chicago and Edmonton last season. The deal includes no-trade for first three years, then adjusts to 16 team list for remainder. (H/T Ryan Rishaug)

1846d ago

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

Mike Babcock will return to an NHL bench for the first time in almost seven years after being hired as the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Babcock came out of retirement for the chance to coach a team with Stanley Cup aspirations. Free to read: nyti.ms/4oOxHoq

1745d ago

SpudRazor16

“Came out of retirement” - LOL.

Bergy4Selke8

You should fire the editor who chose to frame his return this way. Calling this scandal washing would be an understatement.

BTEUF3

*Connor McDavid furiously deleting half the camera roll on his phone*

shinigami5642

Edmonton is going to implode. The players apparently blessed this, but I don't think they realize just how truly toxic this piece of shit is.

Brian Hedger

@brianhedger.bsky.social

The coach who resigned after an NHLPA investigation into allegations he pressured players to give him their cellphones during summer 1-on-1s told assembled media in Edmonton today, upon being named Oilers coach, that #CBJ staff disunity was the reason he walked -> www.dispatch.com/story/sports...

1144d ago

Keith Naas4

I also like how he blamed his wife.

Mike B3

Yep, he was the “staff” that had issues

NHL (Bot)

@notnhl.bsky.social

The /EdmontonOilers have hired Mike Babcock as their new head coach 🔵🟠

945d ago

Ches - STANLEY CUP CHAMPS!!!!!!5

The EdmontonOilers have hired this ratio as their head coach

Greg Bauch

@gregbauch.bsky.social

Mike Babcock starts his press conference by just beating the shit out of McDavid.

1345d ago

alice, cowboy umarell

@yolowoho.bsky.social

DJ Smith and Babcock reunited in Edmonton, the Oilers really are trying to recreate the mid 2010s Leafs, no doubt it will lead to the same roaring successes the Leafs have seen sinc- I'm being handed a note.

1145d ago