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The Edmonton Oilers made a major change in leadership following the conclusion of their 2025-26 NHL season, dismissing head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Mark Stuart after they were eliminated in the Western Conference Quarterfinal by the divisional rival Anaheim Ducks.
General manager Stan Bowman felt that a leadership change was necessary to try to maximize the limited window that remains while Connor McDavid is still under contract with the club and in the prime of his career. However, the Oilers are raising eyebrows everywhere by pursuing Mike Babcock, who was most recently in the NHL in 2023 as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, Babcock resigned without coaching a single game after reports surfaced that he asked Blue Jackets players to share photos from their personal mobile devices with him. Additionally, Babcock has been associated with controversy based on comments from several of his former players in various cities. And now, another one of his former players is speaking out.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Daniel Winnik Said Mike Babcock Took Away His Love Of The Game
Babcock, who accepted the richest coaching deal in NHL history at the time in 2015 to join the Toronto Maple Leafs after nearly a decade with the Detroit Red Wings, led the Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs three seasons in a row following a rough 2015-16 campaign in which the Leafs eventually won the Draft Lottery and the right to select Auston Matthews with the first overall pick.
Former Maple Leafs forward Daniel Winnik, who was eventually traded from Toronto to the Washington Capitals at the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline, played 56 games under Babcock that season.
But amidst reports that the Oilers are interested in hiring him, Winnik is the latest former NHL player who had Babcock as a head coach to speak out against him.
“No, do not do it,” Winnik answered when asked what he’d tell the Oilers. “He’s the only guy that ever made me hate hockey.”
“I just hated coming to the rink,” he continued. “He’s just a bully. … I think it started out fine with me and Mike. I was playing well. I was coming off my career year when I came back here, and then I had a high ankle sprain happen in Washington in November…I missed five games, that was it, with a high ankle sprain. Should’ve been out for eight weeks. Came back, and I always thought skating was my strongest attribute, and I just couldn’t skate. I wasn’t the same player, and then it just cratered from there.”
Daniel Winnik Is The Latest Former Player To Speak Out Against Mike Babcock
Winnik continued by saying that the more talented players on the Maple Leafs during his time with the club seemed to receive more preferential treatment from Babcock.
“He’s on me all the time, and just.. I just think how he treats people is not great,” he said. “That’s been well documented at this point. Sure, the top guys aren’t going to have a problem, he’s just going to let them play…I just don’t think his style works anymore.”
Michael Whitaker Michael Whitaker is a sports journalist based in metro Detroit with nearly a full decade of experience with publications like Clutch Points and The Hockey News. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Eastern Michigan University. More about Michael Whitaker