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The NHL could save the Oilers from themselves
Mike Babcock
Photo credit: © Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Jun 10, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 10, 2026, 12:28 EDT
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Not so fast, everyone.
The Edmonton Oilers might be saved from themselves before they make the most controversial coaching hire since… well, maybe ever, considering the profile of Mike Babcock and how often the word “scumbag” is used to describe him.
But as we know, the Oilers resist normalcy the same way P.K. Subban resists a simple suit and tie. There’s always something cooking.
Bob Stauffer’s pronouncement on Monday sounded definite to my ears. The hiring seemed fait accompli. Each pillar of the organization is on board, we’ve been told. As quickly as the news dropped, Oilers fans were forced to react to the idea that Babcock wasn’t just a consideration but the answer.
Or, in Stauffer’s words — inevitable, 100 per cent — Babcock is the man. 
But the caveat that the powers that be must sign off first, which seemed initially like a bit of dotting t’s and crossing i’s, could be a thorny issue on the Babcock front. 
On Tuesday night, we learned more. Multiple insiders outlined the next steps, as the NHL and NHL Players’ Association will now join Edmonton in the Babcock Zone and see whether, once and for all, this is even a possibility. 
The NHLPA wants a full investigation and is requesting the league start one. Elliotte Friedman also chimed in with reporting to clarify what happened three years ago and where we stand today. 
While most remember the gist of what happened in Columbus with Babcock – requesting to look at his players’ phones, look at pictures, all to “get to know you better” during meetings –  the sequence of events back in the 2023 off-season is relevant to what will happen now. 
The league didn’t get to the investigation stage because Babcock officially resigned from the job. No investigation formally took place. So his actions, and the league’s stance on those actions, were not fleshed out at the time in a formal way, as Friedman wrote late Tuesday. 
“Once he stepped down, it never happened,” said Friedman. “The union’s current position is that this should happen — and conclusions reached — before he should be eligible now.” 
Friedman added that the NHL declined comment, presumably because the league had another terrific Stanley Cup final game going on – now four in a row in this compelling series – and are probably pissed off that the shine from the actual games is being projected toward the gloom of a disgraced former head coach. 
“But the expectation is this request will be granted and the investigation will occur,” wrote Friedman. “I’m not certain it would prevent the Oilers from hiring Babcock in the meantime, but it’s hard to see them doing it knowing one is imminent.” 
Now stands another hurdle in the way of hiring Babcock as a coach, on top of a PR nightmare and alienation of the fan base, who, in as great a number as you see on any issue, are against this hiring. 
I revert back to my initial feelings upon hearing the news, and I know I’m in the minority on this but I’ll say it anyway. 
What the hell happened to the Bruce Cassidy idea? The Golden Knights are almost done playing. If you’ve already waited for a month on this file, and allegedly even leaked the news that they weren’t granting permission to interview him (if you believe Kelly McCrimmon), then why pull out 95 per cent of the way there, and not force McCrimmon to say the words out loud, “no?” 
Was Cassidy really even their top choice? What did the Oilers do during this coaching search? Force Vegas to decide what they’re going to do at head coach. It doesn’t appear as if their initial plan was to hire Tortorella for the long term but to upgrade Ryan Craig of the Henderson Silver Knights, their AHL affiliate in the off-season. 
Vegas can’t have it every which way. Are you keeping Torts? Well, we’d like to talk to Craig. Wait, you’re keeping Torts and going to deny your AHL head coach the ability to advance the ranks? 
Force them to say the words. Leak it out if you like. That’s the way to be ruthless. Instead, you’re being ruthless to yourself, allowing a master manipulator, like Babcock has been throughout his career, can swindle an owner, the team’s two best players, and management. 
There’s no knowing how long this investigation could take. For a team that got impatient in waiting for Cassidy, they could be waiting for weeks for the NHL to determine whether they can even hire Babcock. The league has to go back three years. 
When have the words “NHL” and “investigation” happened quickly? 
It would be another fine track on the short list to be included on the Oilers Greatest Hits of Screwups if the investigation into Mike Babcock dragged on past the draft and free agency, when they could’ve pressed the Golden Knights on one of their personnel and known a for sure answer much sooner. 
So a rare opportunity of quick capitulation stands before them. 
Crouch in the starting blocks and gaze ahead at the track. Look at that hurdle. Listen to the NHLPA as it mouths the words, “Do you really want us to go here?” and think long and hard about the strategy you’re using to both get better and get even. 
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4. 

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