EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers formally named Mike Babcock as the franchise's 19th head coach on Tuesday, following a league review that cleared the 63-year-old to return to the NHL bench for the first time since 2019.
The NHL on June 18 said in a statement that it had completed its review of Babcock's tenure in Columbus, concluding that "even in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League." NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking at a Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, confirmed the league's position. "Based on our investigation, we concluded there was no basis upon which he should be prohibited from coaching, and his ability to coach depended on an NHL team wanting to have him coach and sign him, which is what Edmonton did," Bettman said.
The announcement was made by Oilers General Manager and Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Stan Bowman at a press conference inside the Hall of Fame Room at Rogers Place. D.J. Smith was simultaneously appointed as Associate Coach.
Babcock said a meeting with team captain Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman was a decisive factor in his return. "When I knew I was going to get together with Connor, Leon and Zach, that was worth the drive," Babcock said. "The interaction with star players who want nothing more than to win and tell you how they're willing to change and adjust to make that happen, that's pretty exciting for a coach."
Babcock takes over from Kris Knoblauch, who was fired after the Oilers' first-round loss to the Anaheim Ducks in this year's playoffs. That loss, coming after two straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, prompted the organization to seek a coaching change.
Babcock is 12th in NHL history with 700 wins across 17 seasons with Anaheim, the Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto. He coached Canada to the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Olympics and helped it win the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
His return is not without controversy. In 2023, Babcock resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a game amid an investigation into reports that he invaded the privacy of players. Former players have also raised separate concerns about his conduct during earlier stints, including allegations from former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner and accounts described in Nazem Kadri's 2024 memoir.
Bowman acknowledged the organization's current urgency, noting that the club's last two coaches had been first-time NHL head coaches. "I think you have to look at where the organization is right now," Bowman said. "We were looking for somebody that clearly had experience and also had a winning pedigree."
Babcock said he intends to adapt his approach to the current era of the sport. "The league has changed, the players have changed, and you have to change and grow as a coach," he said at the news conference. The Oilers are scheduled to begin the 2026–27 NHL season in the fall.
