New Babcock allegations adds trouble to Edmonton Oilers coaching search
Things are starting to get a bit out of hand in the Edmonton Oilers’ pursuit of Mike Babcock.
It seems the team is deadset on hiring Babcock to be the next head coach of the Oilers. He’s already met with owner Daryl Katz and has gotten the stamp of approval from Edmonton’s leadership group, including captain Connor McDavid.
The only thing standing in the way of making things official is an NHL investigation into Babcock, and it might cause the whole thing to unravel. New reports from NHL insider Frank Seravalli have added a whole new layer of concern to the situation.
It was initially presumed that the investigation would focus on a 2023 incident, where Babcock asked to go through the phones of Columbus Blue Jackets players in an attempt to get to know them better. Some players were reportedly uncomfortable with the request, and the veteran coach quickly resigned after the scandal became public.
Yet, according to Seravalli, there is more to the situation that is unknown, and the phone incident was not the reason why Babcock left the Blue Jackets before coaching a single game.
“If Oilers elect to continue down the path with Mike Babcock, sources say the NHLPA is in receipt of ‘significant’ additional claims from their own investigation with players that were not publicly reported in 2023,” Seravalli reported.
“Furthermore, sources indicate that asking players to see photos is NOT what ultimately resulted in Babcock’s resignation. It was a subsequent (unknown) allegation reported below that cost Babcock his job in [Columbus].”
Furthermore, sources indicate that asking players to see photos is NOT what ultimately resulted in Babcockās resignation. It was the subsequent (unknown) allegation reported below that cost Babcock his job in #CBJ. https://t.co/TI9HRTVUZa
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 10, 2026
This makes the active investigation from the NHL that much more interesting, and risks this entire process for the Oilers. This new wrinkle makes it seem possible that the league could prevent Babcock from getting this Edmonton job.
It certainly seems serious, as Babcock opted to resign from his NHL head coaching position rather than allow an investigation to occur in 2023 and allow things to potentially go public.
Edmonton knew what they were getting into when they decided to seriously consider Babcock for their head coaching job. He is perhaps one of the most controversial figures in the entire sport and has been plagued with allegations of player mistreatment for just about his entire career.
This whole situation seems like a massive misstep from an organization on the precipice of one of their most important seasons in franchise history. They needed to project a sense of strength and confidence this summer, but every move in this coaching search has reeked of desperation.
It has now become a waiting game to see if the next head coach of the Oilers is even allowed to step back behind an NHL bench.