Mike Babcock’s return to the NHL has left many polarized. From fans to former players, several have raised issues with the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to hire the controversial head coach.
Few have been more outspoken than ex-Maple Leafs forward Mike Johnson. Shortly after the Babcock conducted his first press conference as Oilers HC, Johnson, now an analyst for TSN, voiced his frustration over the former’s lack of accountability on display.
“Mike Johnson was not impressed with that presser. Mike Johnson wanted more. He was expecting more and he didn’t get it,” said Johnson poking fun at Babcock referring to himself in third-person throughout the press conference. “Just a smidge of contrition. Just give me something when asked about Columbus,” he continued.
The former Leafs star was left further disgruntled by Babcock’s claim that it was his wife that pushed him to exit Columbus.
“So he’s saying, ‘I chose to walk away with a pending NHLPA/NHL sanctioned investigation.’ I mean, come on, don’t insult our intelligence. You could say, hey, I don’t think I did anything wrong, but don’t act like it was a totally normal departure.”
Babcock’s hiring comes after the NHL and NHLPA conducted a joint review into the circumstances surrounding his exit from Columbus in 2023.
The investigation followed allegations that Mike Babcock had asked players to show him personal photos stored on their phones.
Mike Babcock maintains he never “crossed a line” in Columbus
During his first press conference in Edmonton, Mike Babcock maintained that he did not believe he crossed a line during his time in Columbus. However, he believes some self-reflection was in order.
“To be honest with you, anytime you make anybody feel uncomfortable in your life, you should take a look at yourself and you should say, ‘How could I do that better?'”
His explanation, however, has done little to sway critics like Mike Commodore and Jay Rosehill who too raised concerns around how Babcock conducted himself in the press conference.
Edited by Shivayan Roy
