Back in 2023, Mike Babcock was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with the team hoping that a hard nosed veteran head coach could be key to turning things around after wallowing away in obscurity for years.
Unfortunately for Babcock, he never actually saw the bench as a coach for the Blue Jackets, as he was forced to resign following an investigation from the NHLPA that found improper conduct when he forced senior players to share personal photos from their phone with the coach. That's not the first time he's been involved in controversy however, as his treatment of young players in Toronto, especially Mitch Marner came under scrutiny, leading to his departure from the Maple Leafs as well.
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Despite all of that, speculation has recently picked up around the 63-year-old, with reports suggesting that he could be an option for the Edmonton Oilers after they parted ways with Kris Knobluach early in the off-season.
However, he's now come out and officially shut that down, with TSN reporter Darren Dreger now revealing Babcock's thoughts on a potential return, emphatically denying any desires to return.
"I'm retired, loving it," said Babcock.
It's easy to see why Babcock would want to stay retired, as he has over 1,300 games as a head coach under his belt, with the last game coming with Toronto way back in 2020 before he was fired by the team. Thankfully for the Oilers, there are other options out there, and while it's unclear if Babcock was ever a genuine option to be their next head coach, now it appears as though he is officially out of the running for any job given that he wants to stay retired.
