The Edmonton Oilers made it their mission to go out and hire Mike Babcock as the team’s next head coach, regardless of the criticism he may have received in the past. Even before getting hired, he was being investigated after a scandal that forced him to step down as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023.
One of Babcock’s former players, Daniel Winnik, recently went on First Up and spoke about the Oilers’ hiring, and he doesn’t think that it was a good idea. Not only that, but he doesn’t think Babcock is a good person.
“He’s the only guy who made me hate hockey,” Winnik said. “I hated coming to the rink; he’s a bully. He gets the guys he wants to be on. I was playing well and coming off my career year when I came back here. Then I had a high ankle sprain, and it happened in Washington. I missed five games. I came back and thought skating was my strongest attribute, and I just wasn’t the same player. He was on me all the time. I think the way he treats people isn’t great, and that’s been well documented at this point.
“I just don’t think his style works anymore. If you look back, he hasn’t won a playoff series since 2012. Why is that your hire?”
"He's the only guy that has ever made me hate hockey…he's just a bully"
Former NHLer Daniel Winnick shared his staunch opposition to the possibility of the Oilers hiring Mike Babcock as their next head coach.
Listen to Winnik's full interview HERE: https://t.co/BXWwseyNZT pic.twitter.com/PnQ1RPeK5p
— First Up (@FirstUp1050) June 18, 2026
The NHLPA didn’t find any substantial evidence about Babcock from the 2023 scandal and wrote a statement about him being cleared to return.
“While we found the allegations of Mike Babcock’s conduct as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coach very concerning, the League has decided that there is no current basis on which to restrict his employment. Moving forward, we expect that Mr. Babcock will uphold the high standards required of NHL head coaches,” the statement read.
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