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‘He taught us how to work’: Sean Avery endorses Oilers hiring Mike Babcock

Photo credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY Sports

By Liam Horrobin

Sep 21, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 21, 2026, 14:26 EDT

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The Mike Babcock era officially began in Edmonton.

Hopefully it’s a sign of what to expect from the Oilers this season, as they beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-2.

Evan Bouchard led the way with four assists, while Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Shea each had multi-point nights. Tristan Jarry and Matt Tomkins split time between the pipes, stopping 19 of 21 shots.

Granted, it wasn’t exactly a Jets lineup you’d see in early October, with Noah Gregor leading the team in NHL games played — nevertheless, a positive start to what should be a strong season.

Babcock wasn’t a popular hire when the Edmonton Oilers named him the successor to Kris Knoblauch. Over his three-decade coaching career, Babcock has made enemies based on his treatment of players. Knowing that, the Edmonton fan base questioned the team’s hiring of a coach who hasn’t been in the league since 2020.

The noise has quieted since those early hiring days, and more fans seem to have come around to the idea. There’s a realization that perhaps Edmonton needed a more hard-nosed approach, especially after many comments from the players taking shots at the former coaching staff.

Sean Avery, a former player of Babcock’s, joined ON Everyday with Tyler and Liam last week, after announcing his new show The Sean Avery Show on Hockey Fights. He talked about his experience with the veteran head coach and how it can benefit the Oilers.

“I love Mike Babcock,” said Avery. “He was my first professional coach with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. I’d say one of the reasons that I made the NHL as early as I did was because of Mike Babcock. He coached that way.

“His first year pro, he fucking rode us so hard. Okay, he did some crazy shit with us. He let us run around like absolute animals, but he taught us how to work in practice, and he made us understand that there was a next level, and I’ll tell you another thing: it’s very rare for a non-NHL player to have had such a grasp on what it was going to take to play in the NHL. I love Babs.”

Edmonton is entering a critical time with Connor McDavid’s future on the horizon. Despite having many other core members still signed for years after, whatever the Oilers captain chooses to do will set the franchise’s next path.

While Babcock’s hiring at the time seemed desperate, the players have already bought into his ideas. At least based on what they’re saying to the media. Additionally, Babcock has many positives to say about them, too.

One message that the new head coach has always delivered is his players’ responses. It’s great that they want the Babcock coaching style in July, but how do they handle that in December?

“Now he’s got these guys [the Oilers], he’s got Connor McDavid,” said Avery. “I think there’s a real redemption story. I don’t know what Babs did. Babs is a bit of an asshole.

“Whether or not it’s an act, sometimes it is. Sometimes, it’s a shtick. But I can tell you, the guy likes to win. Has he treated some people like shit along the way? Yeah, he has. You know, Babs is always going to have those. He’s a devilish character, and he does this via motivation, or the result is: how do I keep my guys motivated and on edge? Now it’s a different NHL now, but when you look at Edmonton, that might be exactly what they need, right?”

“Babcock is a this guy is a Canadian kid — the game is in his bones. Coming back to Edmonton, I’m very excited. I’m going to watch the Edmonton Oilers now early on because of him, not because of Connor McDavid. I know what I’m gonna get from them. But let’s see what he does with the team. That’s fun.”

The Babcock era is off to a good start, but there’s still much more to witness.

The real test comes when, as Babcock says, the players still have to feel his voice a little more in the depths of winter. When expectations rise and he pushes players the way Avery mentioned.

For now, a new era of Oilers hockey has begun.

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