- Connor McDavid calls Mike Babcock the “perfect fit” to coach the Oilers
- Leon Draisaitl says the stars cleared Babcock’s Columbus history in an honest sit-down before the hire
- Read below for what McDavid and Draisaitl said about their new coach
The Oilers’ two biggest stars are all-in on Mike Babcock.
Connor McDavid met with reporters Monday at Zach Hyman’s golf classic in Ontario and didn’t hedge on Edmonton’s new head coach.
“We see a great opportunity to be coached by someone who’s coached in every single big game there is to coach in, who’s been successful, won Cups, gold medals. You name it, he’s done it. He’s the perfect fit. He’s not going to need to come in and find who he is as a coach or find himself. He knows what he’s about as a coach, and it’s our job as players to be ready to go.”
Here’s McDavid on his new coach:
Leon Draisaitl went further and addressed the part nobody else wanted to bring up. Babcock’s last NHL job in Columbus ended before he coached a game, after a report that he asked players to share personal photos on their phones. McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman sat down with Babcock before the hire to talk it through.
Draisaitl said the group put everything out in the open.
“As we all know, there’s history there, and I think we got that all off the table. We had an honest conversation about it and he was very honest about it. I think for us, it’s time to move on and look forward to the start of the year. We’re extremely excited.”
The German star framed the move around the stage of his career.
“It’s just the time that we’re all in in our career, the age that we’re at, and I think he’s the right guy to get us to where we want to get to. It’s a different look, a change in personality, but very excited to learn from him.”
Edmonton hired Babcock on June 23 after the NHL cleared him to return, ending its review of his brief Columbus tenure. His resume is the sell: a 2008 Stanley Cup with Detroit, Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, and 700 career wins, which ranks 12th in league history.
The Oilers made the change after Kris Knoblauch was fired May 14, following a first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks. That came one year after back-to-back trips to the Cup Final.
McDavid also touched on the summer’s roster turnover, including being “extremely disappointed” to lose Darnell Nurse. The captain first pushed for Babcock back in June, telling TSN the Oilers wanted a coach who would be hard on the stars.
Edmonton opens camp in September with a Cup-winning coach and a core that says it’s ready to be pushed.
