Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - The Edmonton Oilers Are REALLY Hiring Mike Babcock?? w/TSN's Darren Dreger | BB Clips

Episode Date: June 17, 2026

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett are joined by TSN's Darren Dreger to break down the latest developments in the Edmonton Oilers' pursuit of Mike Babcock as the organization appears to be closing in on its next head coach. After weeks of speculation, reporting, pushback and debate, all signs continue to point toward Babcock landing behind the Oilers bench. Dregs shares what he's hearing about the process, the conversations taking place behind the scenes, and why Edmonton remains committed to moving forward despite the controversy surrounding Babcock's past. The guys discuss the reaction from fans, the involvement of the NHLPA, the ongoing questions surrounding the investigation process, and whether the Oilers are making the right decision for a team that believes its Stanley Cup window is still wide open. They also debate what Babcock could bring to a veteran group led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and whether this move ultimately helps Edmonton get over the hump or creates even more questions moving forward. With the hockey world watching closely, the biggest question remains: what happens next?Video Link: https://youtu.be/wIQ85ygBVM4#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #edmontonoilers CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Evanton still on track to hire Mike Babcock? If he clears these hurdles figuratively? Yeah. Like it seems that way, right? Like, it feels like if Babcock was going to back off, which he hasn't yet. You know, I mean, there's, it's probably happened already. But, I mean, the expectation was that the league would speak with Mike directly to get his account, which they should. I know that they spoke to former executives and executives of the Blue Jackets.

It's over the weekend, maybe late last week. So the investigation is well underway. I mean, Mike obviously isn't pulling the pin on this. And Edmonton hasn't pulled the pin yet. So, and the one thing I know is if the league goes through this and they don't find anything that's damning, that is significant enough to go, okay, nope, can't happen. You know, then the PA isn't going to block it.

The Players Association just wanted due diligence. They just wanted Mike Babcock to face the allegations from 2023. If security of the National Hockey League and the commissioner's office comes back and says, here's what we've done. We've talked to everybody allegedly involved. And here's what we know. We're okay with it. The PA is going to go fine.

Then Edmonton fill your boots. And that's probably what will happen. Why didn't they complete that investigation in 23? I know he resigned and he's not going to work in the league anymore, but it just does feel less efficient that, three years later, you're now auditing something where a lot of people have moved on. They're not in the organization anymore. They might be retired.

They're trying to summer vacation. Like, if you'd just done it then, when it was fresh, you probably have a better investigation with more info. Couldn't agree more. And the only messaging I've got back is we didn't need to. And we didn't need to because, yeah, as you said, Babcock resigned. So, okay, he's gone. Poof, closed the door.

Don't have to worry about him anymore until you have to worry about him. And I guess that would be the frustrating part for me. me if I were Edmonton. Look, if Mike Babcock has truly changed his ways, I have no problem with him being a coach in the National Hockey League again. I don't. I mean, we're surrounded by players in the NHL who get umpteen chances for their indiscretions

and approach on ice, off ice, all of that. You know, Stan Bowman is a general manager again, you know, Joel, I'm go down the list here.

Go down the list. Yeah. Hey, Amanda Cane keeps getting jobs. Exactly. So, you know, if there isn't a smoking gun, like reporting keeps going to, ooh, there is something. You know, there was a conversation. Well, what if it comes down to the only thing Mike Babcock did was hurt people's feelings?

You know, okay, what he did in terms of what we know, what has been reported on, you know, the scouring through phones. You know, there's a 58-year-old man. we're we're swinging you want my phone or you're taking my phone we're swinging like i i tell you what i'm only going to get one in but it's going to be a good one but when you're 21 22 23 okay it's it's inappropriate and it's not right it's not right but is that enough to prevent the best player in the world from playing for a coach he wants to play for it and I don't think it is, but my opinion really doesn't matter. Well, and to be fair, like, Noodles had that argument as well where it's like, look,

Connor carries a lot of water in this league and makes a lot of money for this league. But if we want to play that card, why doesn't he just moaned to the league about wanting Cassidy, if he's got that much sway? That's the guy they really want it. I just don't understand. I don't know. How much does Connor want Babs? I think.

Did he say, this is our guy or like, I'm okay with it? No, no, no, no, no, but the players talk to. So there was a group, I wouldn't call it an interview. I think that's overstating. I mean, you know, as Marty Walsh has said publicly, the head of the PA, players don't hire coaches, management owners, hire coaches. But McDavid and Hyman and Drysail definitely had a conversation with Babcock, like they did Peter Lavio Lett.

And look, I mean, I've known Mike Babcock for 30 plus years. And the one thing that man can do is talk. You know, he can talk. As an old buddy of mine used to say, he could talk a pit bull off a meat wagon. I mean, that's, so he probably wowed them with,

you know, the research that he did, the games that he watched, which would be every minute of back-to-back Stanley Cup finals. And I'm not, he wouldn't throw other coaches under the bus, but he would tell those players what they need to hear. And I,

I know. So the writers didn't, get to the PA initially as an organization. Oilers players got to the PA to say, yeah, we, we, we prefer that they don't bother investigating. Like, what's the point? This guy's a good coach and we want him to be the coach. And, and ultimately, it was up to Walsh and Hainesi in that group to go, no, I mean, we need, we need to address the allegations from 23. And that's where we're at now. I think what you say is fascinating, because I totally agree on the, like, if you want a guy to sell a vision. I think Mike Babcock's great at it. And what he really has to sell

right now is that he's rehabilitated or changed. I think you do a really good job selling that. We're not going to know if it happened or not until he's actually there. It's a fair point. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But as Ryan Rashog, our colleague reminded me during our Stanley Cup travels. And he's not poking holes in the case to bring in Mike Babcock. He's just, I think when Babcock was introduced, his head coach, in Columbus, he basically reflected on Toronto and said during my time away, you know, I've, I've had to internalize. I've had to reflect on who I am and the changes that I need to make and all hell breaks loose in Columbus. He did like a 10 minute sit down with Christine Simpson and it was, it felt like a PR

tour where he was rehabbing his image. Yeah. And that's where it's like the whole fool me once, shame on you, fold me twice shame on me. Like, of course he's going to say he's changed. and he deserves another chance. Of course he is. Oh, there you go, boys. That's what he said in Columbus.

And nothing changed, at least from what we heard. I think it is. I do. Unless the investigation, because Dregs clearly knows Babs as well, and has a really good read on this. And he's broken a lot of news around this situation.

If they were going to pivot to something like torts, that would have come up. It did not. This is their guy. This is who they want pending investigation. I would love to hear what Babs told those guys. Because it sounds like he convinced, like that was the,

Hell yeah. Which guys? Like Connor and Leon and that. Oh, the players. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's, it's been reported by Dregs and many others that like this is what that leadership group wants. Like you say and there, to me there's a fine line between this is what they want or they talk to them and they're okay with the hiring. Yes. To me, it's two different things. I agree.

But I think it's one thing when you hear Dregs say it. If they went to the PA and said, we want this guy. That's, that's not okay. That's, they're, they want them. They're taking a. They put their head, their necks out a bit on it. Proactive role in bringing him in. Like, and that's, and there has to be truth to it because drags and noodles both alluded to

Connor having sway in the situation. Yeah, I agree. Yeah. When it, when it started to happen, we all kind, we kind of, so what are the outcomes? He's going to be the coach. He's not going to be the coach, this and that. I wondered if maybe at some point, but Babcock was just going to say, you know what? Not now.

He's, I don't. don't need all of this stuff. Anytime I, you know, flip the bird at someone in traffic, everything negative that I've done in my life is going to be brought back out to the forefront. I thought maybe he would back away. That hasn't happened. No. It's not. I don't know.

He's got the backing of the players. And what does he got to lose? He's already vilified. Everyone already has a feeling about Bobcock. I think this is his last chance to get back into this club. Mid-60s, it's last chance anywhere. Like I was saying, unless there was something

very embarrassing or offside that had happened that he didn't want out there. Illegal. There probably isn't. So it's just moving forward. Yeah, I can't imagine now.

It has taken, it's, they've taken a beating across the hockey lands. They still will if it doesn't turn out. Yeah, it's not over if he gets hired.

Now it's like, okay, he said he was rehab. We're watching. And I don't even get shit about the rehab. I just been changed. You know what I know.

I don't care about that side of it. It's the success. Is he the coach that's good enough to make this team win? That's the question I have because I'm not, I don't know. And I'm kind of with. I don't care. I yelled at you and me and Noodles did it. We yelled at you.

I don't care how he treats the players. Yeah. Winning is what we're watching pro sports for. And I think players that want to win at all costs will put up with more than you would at a bank. I get that.