Big news on the Mike Babcock hire has Stan Bowman fuming in Edmonton
The NHLPA is trying to put the brakes on Mike Babcock's expected hiring by the Oilers, and it just turned a coaching story into a league-wide one.
Darren Dreger first reported the union's involvement. Frank Seravalli then added the sharpest detail Tuesday.
Per Seravalli, sources say the NHLPA has specifically requested that the NHL delay Babcock's hiring in Edmonton until a formal investigation can be completed.
The investigation concerns allegations that Babcock invaded players' privacy during his time in Columbus. Those allegations are unproven, and the union wants them examined before any hire moves forward.
That request alone is a major escalation. The players' association does not step into coaching hires lightly.
Seravalli's report builds directly on Dreger's, and the delay request is the part that changes everything about Edmonton's timeline.
-
The Columbus allegations now stalling Edmonton's plan
Notice the timing here. Just a day ago, the Babcock-to-Edmonton chatter was gaining steam, with Steve Simmons floating Zach Hyman's strong endorsement of the coach.
A respected veteran vouching one day. The union asking the league to halt the hire the next. That whiplash tells you how divided this situation is.
And it leaves the Oilers in a genuinely awkward spot. Edmonton has a coaching vacancy to fill, with reports also tying the team to Bruce Cassidy as an alternative.
Now any move toward Babcock runs straight into a formal request for an investigation. You can't quietly announce a hire the players' union is publicly trying to pause.
Here's my read, and I'll keep it measured. The allegations haven't been proven, and due process matters for everyone involved.
But hiring a coach while the union is asking the league to investigate him would be reckless for Edmonton. You don't bring a story like this into McDavid's room and hope it blows over.
Waiting is the only sensible play. If the investigation clears Babcock, the Oilers can revisit it. If it doesn't, they'll be relieved they paused.
Stan Bowman wanted a coach by now. Instead he has a process he doesn't control and a deadline that just disappeared.
How the NHL responds to the union's request is the next domino. Everything in Edmonton waits on it.
|
LIVE
JUNE 9, 2026
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jordan Staal | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Jackson Blake | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Taylor Hall | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shea Theodore | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Brandon Bussi | - | - | - | |
| William Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||