New Edmonton Oilers coach Babcock opens up about messy Columbus situation
The Mike Babcock era is officially underway for the Edmonton Oilers.
Edmonton announced the hiring on Tuesday morning, bringing Babcock aboard as the team’s head coach, as well as naming DJ Smith as an associate coach. This came after weeks of rumours and an NHL investigation that paved the way for Babcock to return to the league.
It’s a controversial move from the Oilers, as Babcock brings quite a bit of baggage to the Alberta capital, particularly from a brief stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2023.
The 63-year-old was accused of invading the privacy of players by forcing them to hand over their phones so he could peruse their photos. The allegations caused a media storm that eventually led to Babcock resigning before coaching a single game in Columbus.
That situation was at the heart of the league investigation and was a popular topic during Babcock’s introductory press conference at Rogers Place on Tuesday afternoon.
He seemed open to addressing everything that happened, starting with the reason he decided to resign as Blue Jackets head coach.
“I chose to walk away, really straightforward; it was very evident before the year started,” Babcock said. “I hadn’t benched anybody, I hadn’t talked to anybody, I hadn’t sat anybody out, and it was evident that we weren’t together as a staff right from the get-go.
“My wife gave me a call, and she said it was time to get out of there. I had been retired, I was pretty good at it, I got back to being retired.”
General Manager Stan Bowman alongside Mike Babcock & D.J. Smith address the media after being named #Oilers Head Coach & Associate Coach, respectively. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/LxGa6Nl4P8
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 23, 2026
The fallout in Columbus was messy. After he left, then-Blue Jackets president John Davidson said that hiring was a mistake and that they had made the wrong decision to hire Babcock.
Those are harsh words, and it signalled a messy breakup, but Babcock told Edmonton reporters that the decision to leave Columbus was more of a family decision. Though he did offer up some reflections on how he learned from the experience.
“Any time you make anybody feel uncomfortable in your life, you should take a look at yourself, and you should say, ‘How could I do that better?’ and I think that’s what you do,” Babcock said.
“The situation in Columbus, they’ve had a full review, and I’m thankful to the NHL and NHLPA for doing that. It didn’t work out for us; we’re excited about making it work here.”
Welcome to Oil Country, Mike & D.J. šµš pic.twitter.com/sLTRvVsGRY
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 23, 2026
Babcock has been accused of mistreating players throughout his NHL tenure, which ranges from allegations of verbal abuse to strange power plays. The worry was that he would bring that problematic behaviour to the Oilers, which could lead to Babcock alienating players.
He elaborated on his coaching philosophy when it comes to being hard on players.
“No matter what happens, when you coach, when you scratch people, when you sit them out, when they’re at the end of their career, and you don’t play them, it’s hard for them, for sure,” Babcock said. “You try to do that as respectfully as you can… sometimes it’s not perceived that way.
“I actually don’t think my intentions are wrong that often. I think sometimes my tone is [wrong] for sure, and we have to work at that.”
A lot of the allegations against Babcock involve him picking on players down the depth chart, with superstar players not facing the brunt of his worst behaviour. However, Babcock told reporters that he thinks he will have the opposite effect on the Oilers.
He believes he can empower players down the lineup but may butt heads with some of Edmonton’s superstars.
“I’m harder on the best guys by far than on the guys trying to survive every day,” Babcock said. “Everybody on that team has gotta be important, right down to the guys who don’t play every single night. The more depth you create, and the more they feel important, the better chance you have of having success.
“I believe we’re gonna empower all those players, and they’re gonna love it as much as anybody. I think it’s the big dogs that are gonna be going, ‘He’s gonna make me do that? He wants me to do that?’ I think it’s harder on them.”
At the end of the day, what Babcock said during this press conference is unlikely to convert his non-believers. The real test will be whether or not he can get results on the ice and help the Oilers win a Stanley Cup.