The Edmonton Oilers are preparing to hire veteran coach Mike Babcock as their new head coach.
The move comes as management attempts to secure a championship before Connor McDavid's contract expires.
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The organizational decision on June 9, 2026, marks the seventh head coaching change in the NHL this calendar year.
It follows a trend of teams hiring experienced but controversial coaches.
Desperation in Edmonton's Front Office
According to reports from edmontonjournal. com and defector.
com, the decision reflects a sense of desperation within Edmonton's front office. General Manager Stan Bowman and Hockey Operations boss Jeff Jackson are tying their futures to Babcock.
Babcock has been out of the NHL since 2023. He was forced to resign from the Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a single exhibition game.
Babcock's history includes allegations of toxicity and psychological manipulation of players.
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In Toronto, he faced severe backlash for asking rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates' work habits and sharing that information with veteran players.
During his brief stint in Columbus, Babcock resigned under pressure from the players' union. He had demanded to look through players' personal mobile phone photos.
Despite not winning a playoff series since 2013, Babcock is viewed by Edmonton's leadership group as the hard-line authority figure needed to enforce accountability.
The hiring decision will face scrutiny on July 1, when Bowman attempts to navigate free agency and retain existing unrestricted free agents who may be reluctant to play under Babcock's coaching style.
The appointment continues an established pattern of coaching recycling across the league. Since 2025, 16 of the 20 coaches hired possessed prior NHL head coaching experience.
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While the Vegas Golden Knights have found sudden success after replacing Bruce Cassidy with veteran John Tortorella, the Oilers are betting that Babcock can replicate his 2008 Stanley Cup success with Detroit rather than repeating his recent turbulent departures.
