Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers leadership group vetted Mike Babcock themselves before the organization hired the 63-year-old coach. Babcock impressed them by how he approaches the game.

Not to mention having a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals — hardware McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman don’t have. It’s a big reason why Babcock got the job.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby gave his own assessment of Babcock on Tuesday. As the most important player on Team Canada in 2010 and 2014, and with great perspective with 20 years in the pro game, he said Babcock is “really organized.”

Now, Crosby worked with Babcock in two short sprint tournaments over a decade ago, although the stakes were as high as any in the hockey world, and they succeeded.

But his statement shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even Babcock’s detractors, and there were many as his name surfaced in the coaching search, praised his technical abilities as a coach.

Connor McDavid said it all in his first public statement about the hiring: it’s that final piece, the Stanley Cup. During his formative years, growing into one of the most dynamic prospects in hockey history, Babcock was the go-to coach in the game. At the helm of admittedly loaded rosters, Babcock did win one Stanley Cup. He just hasn’t shown it in a long time.