NHL Players’ Association requests league review of Mike Babcock before any new hiring, reports say

The NHL Players’ Association has asked the NHL to investigate former coach Mike Babcock before any team, including the Edmonton Oilers, can hire him, according to two people with knowledge of discussions reported Wednesday. The request centers on Babcock’s “ill-fated” run in Columbus and comes after separate reporting that the Oilers expressed interest in bringing him into their organization.

Under NHL rules, head-coaching hires are subject to league approval, making the union’s request more than a procedural dispute. If the league decides to pursue or restart an inquiry, it could affect how quickly a team can finalize a coaching search and how long candidate screening takes, especially in the offseason when clubs are racing to fill roles that shape training camp and the development plan.

Babcock’s coaching departure in Columbus followed a short and sharply contested tenure. He resigned in September 2023 less than three months after taking the head coaching job, after criticism that his attempts to engage players crossed privacy boundaries. At the time, the NHLPA publicly complained that its players were not treated with respect in the workplace. The NHL had planned an investigation but dropped it when Babcock stepped down, as described in reporting that references the earlier controversy.

The union’s renewed request indicates that the labor side believes the matter warrants additional scrutiny despite the prior decision to stop. It also suggests the NHLPA wants guardrails made explicit before another club is asked to absorb reputational and workplace concerns that could spill into team culture. The people familiar with the discussions spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.

For the Oilers, the coaching conversation sits inside a broader need for stability. Edmonton has been searching for a new head coach following the firing of Kris Knoblauch, according to reporting cited alongside the NHLPA request. The franchise’s next hire is widely viewed as central to how it manages player development, handles responsibility in high-pressure playoff stretches, and implements a consistent system that can survive roster turnover.

Babcock, 63, is a veteran of the NHL coaching ranks whose résumé includes a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008, a trip to the final in 2009, and earlier success with Anaheim. He also coached Team Canada to back-to-back Olympic gold medals. After being fired by Toronto during the 2019-20 season, he has not coached in the NHL since. That gap has done little to soften debate around his approach, which former players and others have described as overly forceful or otherwise out of step with modern workplace norms.

What to watch next is whether the NHL treats the NHLPA request as a fresh investigation or as a reinstatement of previously considered material. Teams will likely continue to evaluate candidates in the meantime, but the league’s response could determine whether hiring timelines are tightened or slowed. For any franchise that has interest in Babcock, the immediate question is not only what he would bring tactically, but also what the league and the players’ association require to sign off on his return to an environment where trust and conduct are under review.