Oilers considering hiring Mike Babcock: TSN

Mike Babcock addresses the media as the Columbus Blue Jackets introduce him as their new head coach during a news conference on Saturday, July 1, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kyle Robertson-The Columbus Dispatch via AP)

The Edmonton Oilers are considering hiring Mike Babcock as their next head coach, TSN reports.

The club is consulting with the NHL Players’ Association “to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock,” Darren Dreger said on X.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hired Babcock in the summer of 2023 but he resigned before he ever coached a game after he allegedly invaded players’ privacy.

The NHLPA conducted an investigation at the time but TSN’s Dreger reports further investigation may be required.

Babcock, 63, last coached in the 2019-20 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

He’s also coached the Anaheim Ducks and Detroit Red Wings, where he won a Stanley Cup. Babcock also coached Team Canada to two Olympic gold medals.

The Oilers are searching for a head coach after they fired Kris Knoblauch when the season ended at the hands of the Ducks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.