Mike Babcock will return to an NHL bench for the first time in almost seven years after being hired to be the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.Babcock was effectively lured out of retirement by the chance to coach a team with serious Stanley Cup aspirations.Babcock last coached NHL games in November of 2019 for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was fired that season after a sputtering 9-10-4 start. Babcock was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in July of 2023 before resigning two months later after allegations surfaced on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast that he asked players to share personal photos on their phones with him.Earlier this month, the Oilers consulted with the NHL Players’ Association on a potential return for Babcock. The NHLPA asked the NHL to conduct an investigation into Babcock’s time with the Blue Jackets before approving him to coach again. That investigation was deemed complete Thursday, and Babcock was cleared to return.The 63-year-old arrives in Edmonton at a time when the organization is thirsting for a Cup breakthrough. The Oilers were beaten by the Florida Panthers in both the 2024 and 2025 Cup finals before taking a step back this season, finishing with 93 points and being ousted in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks.That resulted in former coach Kris Knoblauch being fired on May 14.Babcock has previously coached three teams to the Stanley Cup Final, winning in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings, and was behind the bench when Canada won gold at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.Former Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings coach D.J. Smith will be on Babcock’s staff as an associate coach. Smith was an assistant coach under Babcock with the Maple Leafs.What went wrong in ColumbusBabcock was a controversial hire in Columbus when the Blue Jackets announced him as their coach on July 1, 2023. He didn’t end up coaching a game, running a practice or even making it to training camp.He resigned on Sept. 16 — only 78 days later, and four days before camp was to begin — when Blue Jackets players threatened a revolt after it was learned that Babcock had scrolled through multiple players’ cellphones during one-on-one offseason meetings, perusing their pictures to learn more about their private lives.Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette was the first to make these interactions public on the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast.“Upon reflection, it has become clear that continuing as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets was going to be too much of a distraction,” Babcock said in a statement at the time.