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Mike Babcock’s ‘stupid mind games’ led to player disdain, says Jason York
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Alicia LaBine
Jun 13, 2026, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 13, 2026, 14:51 EDT
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More controversy is surfacing around Mike Babcock’s coaching career amid the Edmonton Oilers‘ interest in hiring him to fill their vacant head coach position.
On Thursday, Brent Wallace and former NHL defenceman Jason York of the Coming In Hot podcast spoke about the mind games York experienced under Babcock’s coaching regime.
According to York, he had been “banished” to the AHL along with other veteran teammates German Titov, and Denny Lambert during the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim’s 2002 training camp. A year later when York confronted Babcock about this, the former coach said it was all general manager Bryan Murray’s idea.
“When I confronted him on that years later, he blamed Bryan Murray,” said York. “And then I sat down with Bryan about it and Bryan said it was all Babs’ idea to do it. And I believe Bryan, honestly.
“You can do whatever you want, to some extent – especially back then – as a coach… Just be honest, that’s what players want. Don’t try these stupid mind games. That’s why players end up not liking a guy.”
York said he stood up for himself immediately after learning he would not be a part of the main group of camp. Babcock reportedly lied straight to his face about the intentions of this decision.
“He said, ‘Yorkie don’t worry about it. The guys respect you. I need to get their attention,'” York said while impersonating Babcock’s voice.
“‘I’m just doing this to make sure everybody knows there is going to be change. You are one of my guys, you are going to be in the top four. Don’t worry about it.’”
York was traded after just four games with the Mighty Ducks’ AHL affiliate team that year. He said that the most frustrating part was being lied to, and that he would have preferred to be told directly that he was not a part of the team’s future.
“Then you can get ahead of it, but this went on for two weeks,” he said.
At the time, the Ducks had next to no media presence, and York said that the one reporter they had knew nothing about what was going on.
“Could you imagine this happening in Toronto or Ottawa where there was actually media?” York said, raising questions about what Babcock’s behaviour would be like knowing the Oilers have such a large media team.
This occurred during Babcock’s first season as an NHL head coach, after he had been a bench boss for eight years in the AHL on the Spokane Chiefs and Cincinnati Might Ducks.
For York, he was in the NHL for 10 seasons by this point, the last of which being in Anaheim, where the veteran defenceman played 74 games and scored five goals and 25 points. He was traded to Nashville on Oct. 23, 2002 for “unknown compensation” after recording three goals and five points in the AHL.
His career was spent with the Detroit Red Wings, Mighty Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, and Boston Bruins with a total of 757 games, 42 goals, and 229 points.

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