Mike Babcock may be closer than ever to returning behind an NHL bench. A well-known player agent has now publicly supported him after the NHL completed its investigation into his past conduct.

A person supporting Mike Babcock is player agent Dan Milstein, founder of Gold Star Sports Management Group. Speaking on the PuckPedia Hockey Show, Milstein said he has had very positive experiences working with Babcock.

“I know Mike Babcock well from his days in Detroit and his days in Toronto,” explained Milstein. “He has had many of my clients, from (Pavel Datsyuk) to Nikita Zaitsev to Ilya Mikheyev and others.”

Milstein went even further in his support. 

“I personally think that Mike is one of the greatest coaches in this game. I have never had any issues, and none of my clients have had any issues (with Babcock).”

His comments were very different from the concerns reportedly raised by some agents who represent current Edmonton Oilers players. However, Dan Milstein pointed to the experiences of his own players, including Kirill Marchenko, who was with the Columbus Blue Jackets during Babcock’s brief time there. 

Milstein said Marchenko had very positive conversations with Babcock and was excited about the chance to play for him.

“With that said, I know that we live in a softer environment and perhaps some of the players that used to play for Mike a hundred years ago or whatever, might have their own opinions,” said Milstein. “But obviously whatever happened (in Columbus), happened.”

The NHL recently finished reviewing Babcock’s short and controversial time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After the review, the league said it found no reason to stop him from working in the NHL. The NHL stated that there is no current reason to restrict his employment.

NHL Investigation Clears Path For Babcock’s Potential Return

The investigation focused on Mike Babcock’s 2023 resignation from the Columbus Blue Jackets before he coached a single game. Reports claimed that he asked players to show personal photos from their phones. Those claims raised privacy concerns and led to involvement from the National Hockey League Players' Association.

After its review, the National Hockey League said there was no reason to stop Babcock from working in the league. The NHLPA said the allegations were concerning but accepted the NHL’s decision and expects Babcock to meet the standards required of NHL head coaches.

If the Edmonton Oilers hire him, it would be one of the most talked-about coaching returns in recent NHL history. Despite the controversy, Babcock has one of the strongest coaching records in hockey.

He has a career regular-season record of 700-418-164, won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008, and coached Team Canada to Olympic gold medals in 2010 and 2014.

With the NHL investigation finished and supporters like Dan Milstein publicly backing him, Babcock may be closer than ever to returning to the NHL.

What do you think? Can Mike Babcock's coaching success outweigh past controversies as he pursues another NHL opportunity? Comment down below.

Read more at the NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi