After weeks of talk about being denied permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy, and potentially pivoting to the likes of Craig Berube or Peter Laviolette, it sounds as if the Edmonton Oilers have turned to a different veteran Stanley Cup-winning head coach to take over behind the bench.
Reports on Monday suggested that the Oilers were consulting with the NHLPA to determine whether there would be any objections to them hiring Mike Babcock as their next head coach.
That, of course, has caused a stir around the hockey world, though team reporter and insider Bob Stauffer later confirmed that the buzz is legitimate and that everyone in Edmonton appears to be on board with Babcock.
“I’m not gonna b******* you. I’m gonna tell you exactly the way it is, OK. 100% Mike Babcock is the Edmonton Oilers guy, OK, from ownership to management to the players. He is the selection for the Edmonton Oilers hockey club.
There were several different parties involved with this at various times. Mike Babcock has not only spoken to owner Daryl Hatz, but he has met with Daryl Katz. He has met with the Oilers’ key players, he has met with Harrison Katz. He’s obviously met with Oilers president Jeff Jackson and Oilers general manager Stan Bowman, and he is the Oilers’ choice,”
The now 63-year-old Babcock resigned from his position as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in September of 2023 despite having been hired just two months earlier and never coaching a game for the organization.
It’s a controversial and questionable move for an Oilers team under immense pressure to win while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain in their primes, especially with ongoing questions surrounding the captain’s long-term future in Edmonton.
That said, it has been clear from the start that the Oilers wanted an experienced, hard-nosed, proven winner as their next head coach, and Babcock certainly checks those boxes. Few other candidates can stack up with his resume of winning a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings and capturing two Olympic gold medals while coaching Team Canada.
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