Mike Babcock's path back to the NHL just got a lot more complicated

The former Leafs head coach has had a wild coaching career, and it seems that Edmonton is kicking tires but it doesn't necessarily means they can interview him.

Mike Babcock as had a ton of controversy in his career, and according to NHL insider Darren Dreger, the National Hockey League's Players Association has asked for 'the NHL to move forward with an investigation' into the allegations Mike Babcock invaded players' privacy during his time in Columbus.

This comes after the Edmonton Oilers were reportedly inquiring with the NHLPA on the optics/legality around hiring former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock.

Mike Babcock is one of the winningest coaches in league history, ranking 12th all-time with 700 wins.

This would technically be Babcock's fifth head coaching gig in the NHL, despite never actually starting the season in Columbus, as he was fired before the preseason started in 2023 due to reports of going through players' personal devices and invading privacy.

Babcock has also led a team to win the Stanley Cup; however, that was over 18 years ago and was with a loaded Detroit Red Wings team that was filled with talent.

The NHLPA has asked the league to investigate the allegations from his time in Columbus

In 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets hired Mike Babcock, who had been working in college hockey after being fired by the Maple Leafs in 2019 and also in 2023 on the Spitting Chiclets podcast, they made a claim that they had been told by players on the Columbus Blue Jackets that Mike Babcock had asked and gone through players' phones.

It would later be concluded by an investigation by the NHL that the allegations against Mike Babcock would turn out to be true.

But this time, the players' union has asked for another investigation into the matter according to Darren Dreger, as the Oilers really seem to be dead set on hiring Babcock:

The NHLPA has asked the NHL to move forward with an investigation into the allegations Mike Babcock invaded players privacy during his time in Columbus.

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Edmonton may have a difficult road ahead if they truly want to hire Babcock; his last three tenures have ended in disaster, and his reputation is nearly all but tarnished.

But if they want to put all their eggs in the Babcock basket, they may have a tough time convincing the best player in hockey, Connor McDavid, to stay long-term.

Babcock's troubles trace back to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs fired him in 2019

There were reports that when Babcock was on the outs in Toronto, he did many things that people would deem controversial, manipulative and horrible leadership tactics.

One reported instance was that he asked a rookie, Mitch Marner, to make a list of people he thought were trying the hardest to least in order. This did not go over well with the Leafs locker room leadership.

The former gold medal-winning coach for years has been thought to have toxic workplace relationships and practices, poor leadership and a terrible example of a culture builder.

Even former Red Wings players like Johan Franzen credit Babcock with being a great coach, but a bit less stellar of a human being:

A great coach, but he's a terrible person. The worst I've ever met. He's a bully who attacks people. It could be a cleaner in Detroit or anybody. He would lay into people without any reason.

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It seemed as though things had not gotten better with Babcock after being let go in Columbus without even playing a single game.

As a matter of fact, he never even coached a professional game for the Blue Jackets and has not coached a single game of professional hockey in over seven years.

Who knows if this is even a good move for Edmonton, and if the game has passed the Manitouwadge, Ont native by. By the end of his time with the Leafs, he had never even won a playoff series with the Maple Leafs, going 0-3 in the first round from 2016-2019.

But one thing that can not be stated enough is that Edmonton Oilers star player Connor McDavid has got a shelf life on what is left with the rest of his prime and only has two more years on his contract and this is possibly the most important coaching hire in Oilers history.

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