There has been no shortage of controversy surrounding Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock in recent years.
His past treatment of players and staff has been widely discussed, which is why many were surprised when the Oilers elected to hire him this offseason.
Perhaps the most notorious story involving Babcock came during his brief stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he was forced to resign before coaching a single game after reports emerged that he had asked players to show him photos from their phone camera rolls.
The controversy has followed Babcock ever since, though one former colleague believes the incident may not have been as malicious as some perceived it to be.
Justin Bourne, a Sportsnet NHL analyst who worked as a video coach with the Toronto Marlies from 2015 to 2017, recently shared his experience working with Babcock on the Bleed Oil Blue podcast.
During the interview, Bourne explained that Babcock had asked him to share photos from his phone early in their time together, but said he viewed the exercise as an attempt to get to know his players and staff.
Bourne also suggested Babcock got a “raw deal” following the controversy in Columbus.
“One of the things he used to do before the season was give us the opportunity via AirPlay to show him important pictures on our phones,” Bourne explained. “I have a disabled brother; I’d be like, ‘Here’s my brother in a wheelchair, we went here. Here’s our family cabin.’
“We’d go through this stuff, and he wanted to get to know people. When I heard he was going through people’s phones or whatever […] He didn’t have ill intent in my experience in that sort of thing.”
Sportsnet radio host Justin Bourne, who worked with Mike Babcock during their time with the Leafs organization, tells the Bleed Oil Blue Podcast that Babcock got a raw deal over the cellphone controversy in Columbus.
Bourne says Babcock asked him for family photos before the… pic.twitter.com/IbNXTupc8m
— Bleed Oil Blue (@BleedOilBlue) October 22, 2026
Of course, Bourne’s experience is just one account of what took place and doesn’t disprove concerns raised by other players. His comments do, however, offer a different perspective on an incident that has continued to follow Babcock throughout his coaching career.
The Oilers’ decision to hire Babcock has been nothing but an absolute success thus far, as Edmonton sits atop the Western Conference with an 8-1-1 record through its first 10 games.
Whether that success continues remains to be seen, but Bourne’s comments offer a different perspective on one of the more controversial figures in hockey.
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