A major development in Mike Babcock returning behind the bench has been confirmed

Mike Babcock, one of the most polarising NHL coaches in the last few decades, could be on the verge of returning behind a hockey bench.

Indeed, a new report states that there are rumblings about the coach's return to the sport following a nasty exit from the NHL.

Hockey News Hub reported that Babcock was linked to become coach of Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL, potentially replacing Anvar Gatiyatulin, who worked as head coach of the team last season.

In North America, this move wouldn't be well received. But controversial people often end up in the KHL, as we saw in recent years with Alex Galchenyuk, for instance.

His last two jobs in the league ended badly. He was fired in 2019 by the Toronto Maple Leafs after allegations of player mistreatment, then later, in 2023, by the Columbus Blue Jackets after other similar allegations surfaced.

However, Babcock remains one of the most decorated coaches in the world without a job at the moment. He stands as the only coach in history to have won a Stanley Cup and Gold Medals at the Olympics, World Championships, and Junior Championships.

In the past year, it appeared evident that Babcock would never return to the NHL, and perhaps was too quickly dismissed for openings in other leagues.

As of now, no official announcement has been made confirming that Babcock would get the job, but the fact that his name appears on a team's candidate list suggests that he received at least one offer to come back.

In the past months, many former NHL coaches joined KHL teams, such as Gerard Gallant, Guy Boucher, and Bob Hartley.

Updates will follow.