After weeks of speculation, Mike Babcock has officially been hired as the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
Babcock joins the Oilers after they fired their previous bench boss, Kris Knoblauch, following the team’s first-round elimination in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers initially expressed interest in hiring Babcock in early June. The interest sparked an NHL investigation into Babcock’s prior conduct at his most recent job with the Columbus Blue Jackets, which found “no current basis to restrict his employment.
Babcock has been unemployed since resigning from the Blue Jackets as their head coach in September 2023, just months after his initial hiring. He 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, which he quickly squandered by asking players to show him photos from their cellphones almost immediately upon his arrival.
Oilers owner Daryl Katz and several members of the team’s leadership group, including superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were involved and approved Babcock’s hiring process. The controversial coach arrives after McDavid noted his belief that the organization as a whole had “taken a step back,” and Draisaitl added that he was “concerned because we’re not trending in the right direction.”
Babcock is known to treat his star players well, but concerns have been raised about his conduct toward prior role and depth players he has coached. Daniel Winnik, who played under Babcock for part of the 2015-16 season with the Maple Leafs, recently suggested the Oilers back off from hiring Babcock, saying that “he’s the only guy that’s ever made me hate hockey.”
The 63-year-old veteran coach brings a career 700-418-183 coaching record over parts of 17 NHL seasons and 1,301 games. Through another 164 playoff games, he ranks 10th all-time in wins with a 90-74 record and won the 2008 Stanley Cup with the Red Wings. He will be Edmonton’s tenth coach in just 15 seasons.
Edmonton also announced that DJ Smith, most recently of the Los Angeles Kings, will be joining Babcock’s staff as an associate coach. Smith began his NHL coaching career as an assistant under Babcock with the Maple Leafs in 2015.
The Oilers and general manager Stan Bowman plan to introduce Babcock and Smith in a press conference later on Tuesday.
