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Zach Hyman calls past experience with Babcock ‘phenomenal’
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 25, 2026, 23:03 EDT
The Edmonton Oilers, who met with Mike Babcock during the hiring process, have now all spoken to the media since the news became official on Tuesday.
It’s a resounding chorus of support and excitement from Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman.
Hyman has the most firsthand knowledge of Babcock and his style, having played for him with Toronto for the first four years of his career. He believes Babcock is exactly what the Oilers need.
“We’re all excited about where we are as a group,” Hyman told TSN’s Ryan Rishaug in an interview published on Thursday. “We’re an older team. We’re an experienced team.
“I think Babs brings a very unique style to coaching and a very successful style. We think that it matches where we are as a group and where we want to go. We want to win, and we think he gives us the best chance to do so.”
Preparation ‘second to none’
Hyman’s surge from NCAA to AHL to NHL happened quickly under Babcock, who established himself on a bad Leafs team in 2015-16, to a lineup regular the next year. But Toronto as a whole made a big jump.
After winning the fewest games in the league and drafting first overall, a young team loaded with rookies made the playoffs the next season in 2016-17.
“I look back at our first year, I think we had seven or eight rookies on that team, and we took, I think Washington won the Presidents’ Trophy that year, and we gave them a heckuva first round,” said Hyman.
“Now we’re a veteran group, a group that’s gone to the finals twice that hasn’t won yet, that wants to win, and that wants to be held accountable. He’s also one of the most detailed and prepared coaches you’ll ever meet. I’ve had a lot of coaches now, and he’s second to none with his preparation and having his group ready to execute his plan.”
What’s been repeated a few times — from management at the Babcock press conference to Leon Draisaitl’s exit media scrum — is that the Oilers need to give depth players key roles. Hyman sees the Babcock hiring as helping establish that.
“I think all of the pieces are there for this to be very successful, and for players, young players, role players, all players to really grab hold of a role, really understand what their role is, and really go out there and help our team,” he said.
“I think that’s been the biggest issue. Looking at our group, everybody thinks that we’re so top-heavy, and I think what Babs has done the past is allowed players to have rules to feel important to take on heavier minutes, and I think that’s something that our group is looking forward to.”
‘It’s black and white’
Rishaug asked Hyman that from his experience, does Babcock need to change to coach in the league today. He said he didn’t personally witness anything that crossed the line, and didn’t learn about the Mitch Marner incident until later. But he also didn’t want to speak on other people’s experiences.
He is demanding, but that isn’t exclusive to Babcock.
“He’s a very detail-oriented coach,” said Hyman. “There’s s no grey, it’s black and white. You know what you need to do, and I think that if you go out there and you do it, you’re gonna have a great experience.
“Can he be hard at times? For sure, he can. That’s not just a Mike Babcock trait. I think that there are a lot of coaches in the league that are demanding, and that are tough, and maybe convey things in a different way, but like I said, it’s in my experience with Babs, he never stepped over the line with me, and I didn’t see much of that in Toronto, to be honest, aside from the Mitch story.
“But that was something that was shielded from a lot of the young players, as well. I was a young player at that time, and I didn’t even know about it until after the fact, so I think that we’re very prepared for the coaching style and what’s to come.”
If an issue were to arise, Hyman believes they have a mature team that can handle it.
“I think as a player and as a leader, if you see something that you don’t agree with, or that you think causes an issue, of course you should voice that concern,” said Hyman. “I think our leadership group is very strong that, regardless of who does it, whether it’s me, Babs, Connor, D.J. Smith, Stan Bowman, if somebody is doing something that doesn’t seem to be right, or there’s an issue — we’re going to say something.
“It’s very open conversations. There’s an open dialogue between the coaching staff and the players and the management. I think that we’re at the point in our careers with our group that we want to win, and we feel like it’s the best chance to win, and I think we are very aware of everything.”
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.
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