Zach Hyman speaks out and defends new Oilers coach Mike Babcock

The Edmonton Oilers made plenty of noise this offseason, but nothing generated more debate than the decision to hand the coaching reins to Mike Babcock. The 63-year-old bench boss has been away from the NHL for years, and his departure from Columbus in 2023 left a cloud of controversy that still lingers. So when one of Edmonton's most respected veterans steps up to publicly endorse the hire, it carries some real weight.

Zach Hyman, speaking at his annual charity golf tournament on Monday and during an appearance on TSN's First Up, offered a full-throated defense of Babcock and made it clear that the Oilers' locker room is on board with the decision.

A Foundation Built in Toronto

Hyman's relationship with Babcock dates back to the very beginning of his NHL career. The Toronto native played under Babcock for the first four or five seasons of his time with the Maple Leafs, starting in 2015-16. Those were formative years for both Hyman and a young Leafs core that included Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and Hyman credits Babcock with helping shape him into the player he is today.

"I had a great experience with him, and he was phenomenal to me as a young player," Hyman said. "On those early teams with him in Toronto, we had upwards of 10 rookies at the time, and we made the playoffs against the Washington Capitals where we really made noise."

Hyman pointed to Babcock's teaching ability as a major strength, calling him a "phenomenal coach" and noting that many of the young players who developed under Babcock in Toronto have gone on to enjoy long, productive NHL careers. He also praised the addition of DJ Smith as associate coach, saying the combination "really cements our coaching staff as one of the best in the league."

Of course, no conversation about Babcock can avoid addressing the elephant in the room. His brief and turbulent tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets ended before a single regular season game was played in 2023, after allegations surfaced that he had improperly viewed players' smartphones. Reports indicated that one particularly concerning incident involved several minutes of looking through a player's phone during a meeting held away from team facilities. The situation led to his resignation and cast serious doubt on whether he would ever coach in the NHL again.

The NHL conducted an investigation into Babcock's conduct at the request of the NHLPA, and ultimately cleared him to return to coaching. That process mattered to Hyman.

"I think it was really important that the NHL and the NHLPA did the process that they needed to do," Hyman said. "Obviously, he was cleared to coach again."

But Hyman went further than simply accepting the league's findings. He indicated that players across the league talk to one another, and that Edmonton's group did its own informal homework before getting comfortable with the hire.

"As players you talk to other players and you get a sense for things around the league," Hyman explained. "I think as players we were all comfortable with Babs and what he brought. It's something that's gonna be really good for our group, he's somebody who we need and somebody who can take us to the next level."

The Pressure Is On in Edmonton

The Oilers are not bringing in Babcock to rebuild or develop a young team. This is a franchise that reached the Stanley Cup Final in both 2024 and 2025 but stumbled badly last season, finishing 41-30-11 before getting bounced by the Anaheim Ducks in six games during the first round. That disappointing exit cost Kris Knoblauch his job, despite the fact that he had coached the team to those two consecutive Cup Final appearances.

Hyman was candid about the letdown of last season, acknowledging the team could never find consistency. He noted it took them until nearly February or March to string together three consecutive wins. Still, the group believed it had the talent to get hot when it mattered.

Now the urgency is even greater. Connor McDavid is entering the first year of a two-year, $25 million contract extension, and the window for this core group is not infinite. McDavid himself spoke at Hyman's charity event and expressed enthusiasm about working under Babcock.

"We see a great opportunity to be coached by someone who's coached in every single big game there is to coach," McDavid said. "Who's been successful, won Cups, gold medals, you name it, he's done it. He's not going to need to come in and find who he is as a coach. He knows what he's about, and it's our job as players to be ready to go."

Babcock's resume is undeniably impressive. He owns a 700-418-164 record across 17 NHL seasons with Anaheim, Detroit, and Toronto. He led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup in 2008 and is the only coach in the Triple Gold Club, having also won two Olympic golds with Canada and a World Championship.

The offseason changes in Edmonton extend beyond the coaching staff. Long-time defenseman Darnell Nurse was traded to the San Jose Sharks after requesting a fresh start. Hyman, who considers Nurse a close friend, acknowledged how difficult those transitions can be but expressed excitement for Nurse's opportunity with a young Sharks team.

As for his own situation, Hyman is grateful for the extra recovery time after dealing with a significant wrist injury that kept him out of the first 19 games last season. He would have preferred to be playing deep into June, but the early exit at least allowed the team to get healthy and prepare properly for 2026-27.

The support from Hyman and McDavid sends a strong message that Edmonton's locker room is united behind this decision. But endorsements only go so far. Babcock now has to prove that the trust his players have placed in him is warranted once the puck drops this fall.