The NHL Players’ Association has reportedly received “significant” additional claims about Mike Babcock, not related to asking players to see photos on their phones, that led to his downfall with the Columbus Blue Jackets, insider Frank Seravalli reported Wednesday.

The claims, Seravalli added, were presented to the NHL prior to his resignation from his post, and that these claims are what “cost Babcock his job.”

The ever-evolving saga around the Edmonton Oilers‘ hunt to make Mike Babcock the 19th head coach in franchise history hit a snag Tuesday night when it was reported that the NHLPA requested the league conduct an investigation into his tenure with Columbus, something that will reportedly move forward.

In 2023, Babcock was hired as head coach of the Blue Jackets, and as part of his getting-to-know-players process, he requested to go through photos with them to get a glimpse into their personal lives, with Babcock sharing photos of his own. While older players reportedly had no issue with it, it left some of the younger players on the team feeling uncomfortable. A league investigation into the matter wasn’t conducted at the time, as Babcock resigned from the team.

While Babcock’s hiring by the Oilers has been reported as an inevitability, one has to wonder whether or not this investigation would halt any of those plans. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, if Babcock were to back out of being hired by the Oilers, no investigation would take place, and if it were to move forward, there would be no timeline of how long it could take. Part of the investigation, he added, would require interviews with players involved in the 2023 team. Through it all, the Oilers are aware of the time it can take to complete the investigation.

Babcock’s name was first linked to the Oilers in late May, but things hit a fever pitch Monday when it was reported that the team was checking in with the NHLPA to see if there were any “objections” to the team hiring Babcock. Two days later, and now we have Seravalli’s reports indicating what occured in Columbus could be worse than previously thought.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.