The Edmonton Oilers should have their next head coach locked in early next week.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers will formally begin the process of hiring Mike Babcock after the NHL officially cleared him to work in the league Thursday morning.

Babcock, 63, last worked for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, but stepped down before coaching a single game. This came after the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast reported allegations that Babcock invaded players’ privacy by going through photos on their cellphones. The NHLPA launched an investigation into Babcock at the time, and while details were never made public, Blue Jackets president John Davidson said, “we got it wrong” after Babcock resigned.

The Oilers inquired with the NHLPA in early June to determine if any objections needed to be resolved before hiring Babcock. Oilers owner Darryl Katz and the team’s leadership group, including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, had reportedly met with Babcock already to discuss his vision for the team.

The inquiry prompted an NHL investigation to revisit the situation in Columbus and determine whether he is fit to return. The results of that investigation were announced on Thursday.

“The National Hockey League today released the following statement regarding its investigation of Mike Babcock,” the league said in a press release.

“The League has completed its review of Mike Babcock’s tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in a light least favorable (sic) to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.”

Now that Babcock has been cleared, the Oilers are expected to begin ironing out details on a contract. Back in 2015, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Babcock to a massive eight-year, $50 million contract. The historic deal had an average annual value of $6.25 million, which was an NHL record high for a head coach at the time. The Leafs relieved Babcock of his duties in the fifth year of the contract after a slow start to the 2019-20 season.