Players' union asks NHL for a Mike Babcock investigation if Oilers want to hire him, AP sources say
The union wants the league to review privacy complaints from Babcock’s Columbus stint before any team hires him.
- On Wednesday, The NHL Players Association requested the league investigate Mike Babcock's tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets before the Edmonton Oilers or any team hires him as head coach.
- Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets in September 2023, less than three months after taking the job, following an investigation into claims he violated players' privacy by requesting personal cellphone photos.
- While Babcock holds 700 career wins, former players have criticized his 'old-school tendencies,' including an incident where he asked Mitch Marner to rank teammates by work ethic and shared the list.
- Seeking a replacement for Kris Knoblauch, the Oilers recently met with Babcock and owner Daryl Katz after the Vegas Golden Knights denied permission to interview Bruce Cassidy.
- All coaching hires require NHL approval. While the league dropped its investigation when Babcock stepped down in 2023, it remains unclear if officials will resume the probe into the 63-year-old coach.
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NHLPA reportedly asks NHL to investigate Mike Babcock as Oilers consider hiring controversial coach
The Edmonton Oilers need to be very intentional about the next coaching hire, seeing as it will have a direct impact on whether or not superstar centerpiece Connor McDavid sticks around, and it looks like things are trending toward a surprising pick: Mike Babcock.According to The Athletic, the NHL Players Association has asked the NHL to conduct an investigation into Babcock's brief 2023 stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets if the Oilers are loo…
NHL investigating Mike Babcock before Oilers can hire him, after NHLPA request
Mike Babcock still has to clear some hurdles before he can be a head coach again. The NHL is moving ahead with a full investigation into Babcock’s departure from Columbus before the Edmonton Oilers can hire him, sources confirmed to Sportsnet on Wednesday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday that the NHLPA asked the NHL […]
Players' union asks NHL for a Mike Babcock investigation if Oilers want to hire him
The NHL Players’ Association has asked the league to investigate Mike Babcock’s ill-fated tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets before Edmonton or any other NHL team can hire him as coach, two people with knowledge of the discussions said Wednesday.
The NHL Players' Association is asking for an investigation into Mike Babcock's passage with the Blue Jackets before he can be rehired as a coach.
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