Mike Babcock’s return to an NHL bench has once again thrust his coaching history into the spotlight, ensuring that conversations surrounding his past remain as active as those about the Edmonton Oilers’ future.
While Edmonton hopes the veteran coach can guide the franchise back into Stanley Cup contention, his arrival has also reopened old wounds involving several former players.
This debate intensified again after former NHL defenseman Mike Commodore revealed details of the legal warning he received from the Oilers over his very public criticism of Babcock.
Mike Commodore Dishes on Oilers’ Cease-and-Desist Over Mike Babcock Criticism
Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Commodore pulled back the curtain on the cease-and-desist letter he received from the Oilers after posting a strongly worded message about newly hired head coach Babcock.
Appearing on Ozoon Canada, Commodore recalled how a routine social media post during Edmonton’s development camp unexpectedly escalated into a legal dispute.
“I did fire out a tweet, and I don’t tell. I don’t want to take any of it back. It’s my opinion,” Commodore said, explaining that the response from the Oilers came almost immediately.
What surprised him most, however, was not the content but the timing. “At first, I thought it was a joke. I’m like, okay, who sends these kinds of emails, cease and desist on Sunday? The title is ‘Demand’ in big bold letters: ‘Demand for removal of social media post.'”
Commodore then read portions of the notice he received, saying the organization instructed him to remove the post without delay.
“We demand that you remove this post immediately,” Commodore continued. “We further demand that you immediately cease from making, publishing, or republishing any further public statements concerning the Oilers, the coach to whom the post may be understood to refer, or any person associated with the Oilers that could reasonably be considered defamatory.”
The post at the center of the dispute warned parents to keep an eye on their children around Babcock and included a harsh depiction of the coach.
Commodore said he initially complied by deleting the original message, but after speaking with his attorney, he reposted a revised version that had the words “IN MY OPINION,” arguing that the organization could not prevent him from expressing a personal opinion.
The exchange is the latest chapter in Commodore’s long-running feud with Babcock, a conflict dating back to their time together in Anaheim and Detroit.
Commodore has repeatedly alleged that Babcock derailed his NHL career through broken promises and repeated healthy scratches, while Babcock has consistently maintained that those personnel decisions were based strictly on hockey reasons.
The renewed attention also arrives against the backdrop of Babcock’s controversial coaching history. His brief tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets ended before the 2023-24 regular season after an NHLPA investigation into allegations involving players’ personal cell phones.
Earlier criticism concerning Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner and former Red Wings forward Johan Franzén has long led to scrutiny of his leadership style.
Even so, the NHL concluded there was no basis to restrict Babcock from returning behind an NHL bench.
This decision cleared the way for general manager Stan Bowman and the Oilers to hand him the reins following Kris Knoblauch’s departure, ensuring that one of hockey’s most polarizing coaching figures remains at the center of attention before the new season even begins.
