Babcock Gives Official Response to Rumors About Coaching Oilers

A rumor started surfacing this week about the potential for ex-NHL head coach Mike Babcock to pop his head up again in the league, specifically with the Edmonton Oilers. Bob Stauffer and former NHL GM Brian Lawton had a conversation, throwing Babcock’s name around. Lawton said he could envision a scenario where GM Stan Bowman might be open to giving Babcock another look.

Not so fast.

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When the speculation took on a life of its own, which tends to happen in a hockey-mad market like Edmonton, TSN insider Darren Dreger reached out to Babcock personally and asked.

Dreger wrote on social media, “I asked Babcock this morning about the idea of coaching again and the speculation around the Oilers. He said, “Dregs, I’m retired. Loving it”.”

There you have it. While things could potentially change if an offer ever came his way, Babcock is not looking to get back into coaching, and no one has officially requested an interview, nor has he been offered a job.

It’s probably all for the best. Any connection linking Babcock back to the NHL comes with some serious fallout for the team looking to hire him. Sure, there are comeback stories for players and coaches that many fans and analysts don’t believe deserve them, but Babcock feels a little different. As one fan noted, “Thank god! No one needs that BS in the dressing room.”

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