Oilers' Head Coach Situation Triggering NHL Investigation

The Edmonton Oilers' desperation for trying to win a Stanley Cup before star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get fed up and leave is seemingly causing the team to take drastic action.

Edmonton is reportedly set to hire the controversial Mike Babcock, who resigned as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2023 a little over 10 weeks after being hired amid accusations of inappropriate conduct toward players.

News of the impending hire enraged most of the Oilers' fan base, many of whom flooded social media with angry messages discouraging the team from hiring the disgraced Babcock.

But that's not the only backlash Edmonton is dealing with. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, if Babcock does get hired, he'll be subject to NHL investigation first.

"The NHLPA has asked the NHL to move forward with an investigation into the allegations Mike Babcock invaded players privacy during his time in Columbus," Dreger wrote on X.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun added more context to the situation.

"Further to what @DarrenDreger reports here, the NHL is awaiting word from the Oilers," LeBrun added. "Which is to say, if Edmonton wants to go ahead with the Babcock hire, then the league will go ahead with its investigation as per the NHLPA request. But that’s if the Oilers decide to go ahead with the hire."

The looming investigation stems from an incident during Babcock's tenure in Columbus in which he was accused of invading the privacy of several Blue Jackets players by looking through personal photos on their phones.

It's possible the investigation could deter the Oilers from hiring Babcock, or at the very least, he could be subject to potential NHL punishment before being able to start his tenure in Edmonton.

Babcock's questionable coaching tactics don't stop there though.

He was also accused of bullying former Detroit Red Wings player Johan Franzen into having a nervous breakdown, asking former Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner to rank his former teammates based on their effort level, and healthy scratching players like Mike Modano and Mike Commodore due to a personal vendettas.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 6:54 PM.