The One Oiler Best Qualified to Judge Mike Babcock Just Shared a Surprising Truth

When it comes to the debate surrounding Mike Babcock’s return to the NHL as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, few people are better positioned to weigh in than Zach Hyman.

Hyman was a young, unproven forward when Babcock was his coach in Toronto. He’s now a veteran, an experienced playoff performer, a confident contributor, and a key voice in Edmonton’s locker room. He’s lived both sides of the equation — the young player trying to earn his place, and the established pro who understands what a team needs to win. When he goes to bat to hire Babcock as a coach or speaks about Babcock after the hiring announcement is made official, it carries weight that a simple character reference simply doesn’t.

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And what he said to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug only hammers home the point even more: most of us are only going off of what we’ve heard second hand. Hyman lived it.

Hyman Endorsed Babcock

Hyman has a lot to lose by recommending Babcock if this all goes south. He was one of the core leadership guys who suggested the Oilers talk to Babcock and was effusive in his standing by the idea that “Babs” would become the next coach. He’s not shying away now, describing Babcock as someone who found a role for him early in his career when others weren’t sure he belonged.

Hyman credited Babcock with helping shape him into a legitimate NHL contributor. He pointed to a Toronto roster that featured eight or nine rookies in their first year together, most of whom went on to have meaningful careers, and attributed that foundation directly to Babcock’s coaching.

Hyman described his time in Toronto and under Babcock as the most prepared team he’s been a part of — a group that knew its roles, valued those roles, and felt valued in return. That’s exactly the message Edmonton wants its younger players to hear heading into next season.

Hyman also revealed that before Babcock accepted the job, he met with Hyman, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl for honest, detailed conversations about the team and the path forward. That kind of buy-in from the core matters. McDavid and Draisaitl are on the same page as Hyman, and the rest of the team appears to be excited, too.

The Elephant in the Room

But Hyman also acknowledged that he’s heard what’s out there.

When asked about the concerns surrounding Babcock — specifically the well-documented incident involving Mitch Marner during their time together in Toronto — Hyman revealed a bit of a surprising detail. He said the Marner situation was the only incident he was aware of from his four years with the club, and that he didn’t even learn about it until well after the fact. The veteran players, he said, shielded the younger ones from it.

That’s an interesting fact of the story that hasn’t really been mentioned before. While the focus has been on what it did to Marner (and that’s an unfortunate part of the story), there was also a sense that it had really dented the locker room’s overall culture. Hyman is suggesting that’s not exactly the case. Younger players like Hyman were deliberately kept in the dark and not really aware of the severity of what happened. This wasn’t something that crippled the team or trickled down, impacting every inch of what the Maple Leafs were all about. No, Hyman’s experience was positive.

This is not to say that what Babcock did was acceptable. What it does show is that the veterans on this Oilers team can handle whatever comes, as many of the veterans in Toronto did. This group, we assume, is even more prepared to speak up and ensure nothing goes off the rails.

The Takeaway

Hyman’s comments are a reminder that not everyone experienced things the way the narrative about Babcock suggests. He benefited from Babcock’s coaching, and many others did as well. Perhaps not everyone shared that experience, but assuming the players on this Oilers roster are doomed is a dystopian take that clearly isn’t realistic.

Hyman’s endorsement is genuine, and it matters. And moving forward, his actions will matter too. The hope in Edmonton is that Babcock has grown. If he hasn’t, or there’s some of that old Babcock still in there, it’s up to Hyman, McDavid and Draisaitl to make sure that the version of Babcock who shaped Zach Hyman is the one who shows up.

Next: Connor Ingram “Bullish” on Returning, But Oilers Looking at Other Options