The fallout from the Edmonton Oilers’ shocking first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks has quickly made their head coaching search one of the biggest storylines of the NHL offseason.
Despite guiding Edmonton to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, Kris Knoblauch was dismissed, signaling just how much pressure the organization feels to capitalize on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s championship window. As a result, Stan Bowman’s coaching search has now branched into several different directions.
But one Oilers insider is strongly pushing back against the idea of a former Toronto Maple Leafs coach landing the job.
Former Leafs Coach Under Fire Amid Oilers Rumors
While Mike Babcock is one of the most successful coaches in hockey history, and the only coach to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and a World Championship, his reputation has been damaged by accusations of mind games, verbal abuse, and toxic behavior.
His tough, old-school coaching style may have worked in the past, but repeated complaints about how he treated players eventually drove him out of the NHL.
Speaking about the rumors connecting Babcock to Edmonton, NHL insider Jason Gregor did not hold back. “This is the person that some people think, oh, the Oilers should look at because he won a Stanley Cup. It’s an embarrassing recommendation to even mention it,” Gregor said.
“I’m sorry. All you’re doing is empowering a guy who has a track record. And these are just the stories we know about.”
Gregor went on to reference incidents from Babcock’s time in Toronto, Detroit, and Anaheim, accusing the veteran coach of repeatedly trying to humiliate players and assert power over the locker room. He also pointed to Babcock’s lack of playoff success over the last decade, noting he has not won a postseason series since 2013.
“These aren’t allegations,” Gregor added. “These are real stories, and he never denied them.”
The Incidents That Damaged Babcock’s Reputation
One of the most infamous controversies tied to Babcock dates back to the 2016-17 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, though it only became public after he was fired in 2019.
According to multiple reports, Babcock asked 19-year-old rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates based on work ethic. He later shared the results with players who ended up near the bottom of the list, including Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak.
The incident shattered trust inside the locker room and left veterans furious that a young player had been placed in such an uncomfortable situation.
That controversy became one of several stories that painted a troubling picture of Babcock’s coaching methods.
His final NHL controversy came in 2023 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Shortly after being hired, reports surfaced claiming Babcock had asked young players to hand over their phones during meetings so he could scroll through their personal photos.
While the Blue Jackets initially brushed it off as an “old-school icebreaker,” concerns quickly grew after players said they felt uncomfortable with the invasion of privacy. The NHLPA opened an investigation, and Babcock eventually resigned before ever coaching a game in Columbus.
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As things stand, Babcock has already taken himself out of the running to take over in Oil Country, which means general manager Stan Bowman’s search for a new coach behind the bench will go on.
