Mike Babcock has been officially cleared by the NHL to return to coaching.
The NHL released the following statement on Thursday afternoon.
“The League has completed its review of Mike Babcock’s tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.”
The decision paves the way for the Edmonton Oilers to hire the 63-year-old Babcock, who they appeared to choose as their next bench boss nearly two weeks ago.
The NHLPA responded in a statement of its own, saying, “While we found the allegations of Mike Babcock’s conduct as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach very concerning, the League has decided that there is no current basis on which to restrict his employment. Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches.”
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on X that if there are no snags, the Oilers are set to hire Babcock early next week.
Babcock has been unemployed since resigning from the Columbus Blue Jackets as their head coach in September 2023, just months after his initial hiring. Babcock already carried a tainted reputation from his time with the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs when Columbus gave him another chance.
Babcock had been previously accused of a verbal assault that led to former Red Wings forwardJohan Franzen term him “the worst person I have ever met” and forced then-rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates — and then revealing the list to those teammates.
Babcock never ended up coaching a game in Columbus after he reportedly asked players to show him photos from their cellphones in the preseason. The reports were ultimately found to be true and ended Babcock’s tenure in disgrace.
The league’s investigation into Babcock was reportedly set to delve into allegations beyond the well-known cell phone controversy, with undisclosed additional claims coming to light regarding Patrik Laine that were the ultimate reason for Babcock’s resignation.
Since he stepped away from the Blue Jackets, rather than being released or suspended by the league, the investigations into those claims were not conducted. The NHLPA insisted that the process be completed before Babcock can get back behind a bench.
If hired by the Oilers, Babcock will be the team’s tenth coach in the last 15 years. After making the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, the Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division last season with a record of 41-30-11 and fell to the Anaheim Ducks in six games during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
