Edmonton’s new head coach has attracted intense scrutiny because of his past, but the Oilers say the attention has not distracted the team ahead of the new NHL season
Mike Babcock has barely taken his place behind the Edmonton Oilers’ bench and has already become one of the biggest stories surrounding the team.
The 63-year-old coach returned to the NHL this summer after nearly seven years away from the league, taking over an Edmonton team that has reached the Stanley Cup Final in two consecutive seasons. His appointment was always going to attract attention because of his coaching reputation and past controversies.
That attention intensified in September when Oilers legend Mark Messier publicly criticized the decision to hire Babcock, saying he was “absolutely shocked” by the appointment and “horrified” by the situation.
Yet inside the Oilers' dressing room, the message has been notably different.
Players have repeatedly said Babcock's presence has created excitement and that the outside scrutiny has, in some respects, taken attention away from them.
As Edmonton prepares to open its 2026-27 regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night, Babcock is therefore entering the season as both the team's new tactical leader and its most visible source of controversy.
A controversial return to the NHL
Babcock was hired by Edmonton on June 23 after the Oilers dismissed Kris Knoblauch following their first-round playoff elimination by the Anaheim Ducks.
The appointment brought an experienced coach back to the NHL. Babcock won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and has also coached the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, while leading Canada's men's team at major international tournaments.
But his coaching career has also been accompanied by controversies over his treatment of players.
Babcock resigned as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2023, before coaching a regular-season game, following criticism over his interactions with players. His request for players to show him personal photographs became a particular point of controversy and prompted an NHL Players' Association investigation.
Babcock has acknowledged the controversy and said he had reflected on the circumstances surrounding his departure from Columbus.
The NHL subsequently concluded that there was no current basis to prevent him from working, clearing the way for Edmonton to employ him.
Messier's criticism reignites the debate
The controversy surrounding Babcock might have remained relatively quiet during training camp had Messier not intervened.
Messier, a five-time Stanley Cup champion with Edmonton and now an ESPN analyst, criticized the hiring during an NHL media availability on September 23.
He said he had heard accounts from people he considered reputable about Babcock's treatment of players and questioned what would happen if problems arose inside the organization.
Messier also questioned the structure of the Oilers' decision-making process because captain Connor McDavid and other senior players had met Babcock before management finalized the hiring.
The comments immediately became a major storyline around the team.
For a franchise already carrying enormous expectations after consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances, the discussion could easily have become a distraction.
Instead, Oilers players have largely defended the atmosphere surrounding the new coach.
Players say the attention has helped them focus
Connor McDavid said during training camp that most of the headlines were about Babcock rather than the players.
Zach Hyman similarly suggested that the attention surrounding the coach had allowed the players to concentrate on preparing for the season.
“Babs is taking everything,” Hyman said as training camp entered its final days.
Hyman also described the team's environment as positive and said there was excitement about the changes being introduced by Babcock.
McDavid has likewise spoken positively about the team's preparation.
That does not eliminate the questions surrounding Babcock, but it does illustrate the distinction between the public debate and what Edmonton's players have described internally.
Babcock is changing the way Edmonton plays
Beyond the controversy, Babcock has arrived with a clear hockey philosophy.
During training camp, he emphasized speed, positioning, responsibility and greater involvement throughout the lineup.
The Oilers went 4-0-0 in the preseason, outscoring opponents 14-5, according to the team's official season preview.
Babcock has also emphasized giving players ownership within the system rather than relying excessively on a small group of stars.
That philosophy could have a direct impact on how Edmonton deploys its biggest weapons.
One of the first questions during camp was whether McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would play together.
Babcock initially kept the two superstars on the same line, saying he wanted to start with them together while evaluating the rest of the lineup.
The idea is significant because previous Edmonton coaches have frequently moved the two centres between the same and separate lines depending on the circumstances of games.
Babcock has suggested that creating more productive depth could allow Edmonton to spread its offensive talent and reduce the workload placed on its biggest stars.
Opening night has already forced changes
Babcock's opening-night plans have also been complicated by injuries.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will miss the season opener against Vancouver because of a lower-body injury suffered during practice, while several other regular players are unavailable.
That has forced Babcock to reconsider the line combinations he used throughout training camp.
McDavid and Draisaitl had spent the preseason together, but Nugent-Hopkins' absence means the two could begin the regular season on separate lines.
Babcock has treated the situation as an opportunity for other players to establish themselves rather than simply a setback.
The coach will also start Tristan Jarry in goal against Vancouver, with Devon Levi expected to form part of the goaltending tandem.
The Oilers have high expectations
The timing of Babcock's appointment is particularly important because Edmonton is not entering a conventional rebuilding season.
The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, according to Reuters, and remain built around McDavid and Draisaitl.
That creates a very different environment from the one Babcock encountered when he previously took over struggling teams.
The expectation in Edmonton is to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Babcock's challenge is therefore not simply to introduce a new system but to make adjustments without disrupting the core strengths that have taken the team to consecutive Finals.
The early signs from training camp have been positive according to the players and organization, but the regular season will provide a much more meaningful test.
The spotlight will remain on Babcock
Babcock's return guarantees that the Oilers will receive significant attention throughout the season.
Every tactical decision, lineup change and player reaction is likely to be examined through the context of his history.
The controversy surrounding his appointment is also unlikely to disappear simply because training camp has gone smoothly.
At the same time, the players have made clear that they intend to focus on hockey.
That may ultimately be the most important storyline when the puck drops.
The Oilers begin the regular season Tuesday night at Rogers Place against Vancouver, with Babcock taking charge of his first NHL regular-season game in almost seven years.
For Edmonton, the immediate objective is straightforward: establish Babcock's system, manage the early injuries and begin another attempt to win the Stanley Cup.
For Babcock, the season represents an opportunity to demonstrate that his coaching career can move forward from its controversial recent chapter.
And for the Oilers, the attention surrounding their coach will remain part of the story for as long as he occupies the bench.
