Oilers hire Mike Babcock as head coach
It has officially happened.
On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers announced that Mike Babcock has been named the 19th head coach in franchise history.
It comes after a tumultuous few weeks, where many criticized the Oilers for even considering the Stanley Cup champion to step back behind the bench. The position became open after Edmonton elected to fire Kris Knoblauch after a little over two seasons on the job, leading the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, before bowing out in the first round this spring at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.
While the Oilers seemed interested in former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, Babcock’s name surfaced after the Golden Knights weren’t granting teams permission to speak with Cassidy.
Babcock has been out of work since he infamously resigned as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, before even coaching a preseason game. Word got out that Babcock had made questionable choices regarding player privacy, looking through individuals’ pictures on their phones. That came after Babcock was criticized by former players for his antics both with the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Regardless of what people might think of him, the 63-year-old has a winning pedigree. In his first season in the NHL, he took the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. In 2008, he coached the Red Wings to their latest championship, with the team advancing to the final again the following season. In 16 seasons in the league, Babcock has only missed the postseason twice. He has a record of 1,301-700-418, with 19 ties.
On top of that, Babcock is one of the more accomplished coaches in international hockey. He led Canada to the gold medal at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as finishing atop the podium at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Babcock comes to a team in Edmonton that is desperate to get back on track after a disappointing 2025-26 campaign. With captain Connor McDavid only signed on for two more seasons, the level of urgency in the provincial capital of Alberta is at an all-time high to win a Stanley Cup now.