NHL makes official investigation announcement on Mike Babcock as Oilers wait to hire him
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 18, 2026 (1:01 PM)
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Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
The NHL has cleared Mike Babcock to coach again, removing the final obstacle between him and the Edmonton Oilers bench job.
The league issued a formal statement Thursday after completing its review of Babcock's conduct during his brief, controversial stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023.
The NHL's exact language deserves a closer read than it is getting. The league confirmed there is "no current basis to restrict his employment" - a procedural clearance, not a declaration that nothing wrong occurred.
"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 to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League."
- NHL
- NHL
That distinction is being glossed over. Cleared to work is a legal threshold, not the same thing as being declared blameless.
What the NHL statement actually says
The Oilers now have permission to hire Babcock. What they do not have is a clean bill of history to point to.
Babcock resigned from Columbus before coaching a single game in 2023, following an NHLPA investigation into allegations that he asked players to show him photos stored on their personal phones.
Separate, unreported allegations - including a situation involving Patrik Laine - were also examined as part of this league review.
The NHL concluded there was no current basis to block his employment. It did not say the alleged conduct was acceptable.
Why Edmonton is betting on him anyway
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both signed off on the hire. Stan Bowman is putting significant credibility behind this decision in a summer that already carries enormous stakes.
Babcock brings 700 career wins, a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008, and Olympic gold medals coaching Canada.
For a franchise running out of runway with McDavid approaching free agency, that track record carries genuine weight.
The risk here is real and well documented. But the Oilers have decided the ceiling Babcock can raise is worth the complicated history that follows him.
Edmonton now has its coach. Whether that gamble is the right one will start to become clear very quickly.
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