After Kris Knoblauch was let go following a first-round playoff exit, the Edmonton Oilers went looking for a coach who could tighten things up and get them over the finish line. Their first choice, Bruce Cassidy, was blocked by Vegas. So GM Stan Bowman turned to Mike Babcock, a man with over 700 NHL wins, a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals, and also a man who hasn't coached since resigning from Columbus in September 2023 after allegations surfaced regarding breach of player privacy.
Oilers pursuing Babcock triggered the NHLPA to formally request a full investigation into the Columbus allegations before any team can bring him on board. It's an ugly situation and it probably shouldn't need to be said that given everything that followed Babcock out of Columbus, it came as a genuine surprise to a lot of people that a franchise like Edmonton would go down this road at all.
That's the part that raised eyebrows first but what raised them even further is who's reportedly been pushing for it. According to multiple insiders, the veterans are in on this too and one of them has been particularly vocal.
Zach Hyman and Mike Babcock go way back
That veteran is Zach Hyman. TSN's Darren Dreger said on the McKenna & Starr morning show last week that Hyman is "one of the loudest voices in support of Mike Babcock in this process." And when you know the history between the two, it probably makes a bit more sense.
Hyman and Babcock first crossed paths when Babcock was still coaching the Detroit Red Wings. He was out scouting prospect Dylan Larkin at the University of Michigan and noticed the guy working alongside him, Hyman, for his compete level and ability to get Larkin the puck. That was apparently enough to stick in Babcock's mind.
When Babcock took over as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015, Hyman came with him. Over the next five seasons, Hyman put up 152 points in 302 games under Babcock, improving every year and eventually earning Toronto's nomination for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2019-20. He later became a 50-goal scorer in Edmonton.
One could make a reasonable argument that Babcock's early faith in him helped get things moving. Steve Simmons summed it up saying: "How much does Zach Hyman think of Mike Babcock? He owes him his career."
There's also a newer connection. Hyman's Brantford Bulldogs junior team recently hired Michael Babcock, Mike's son, as head coach. It was pointed out by analyst Paul Almeida that the Bulldogs made that hire just a few days before the Oilers started their Babcock pursuit. Whether that's coincidence or something more, people are going to read into it.
Oilers core players reportedly on board with the decision
Hyman of course isn't the only one. According to TSN's Ryan Rishaug, the Oilers' leadership group as a whole is behind this direction. That reportedly includes Connor McDavid.
"Sounds like the Oilers' leadership group is firmly behind the Oilers going down this path," Rishaug reported. "Babcock did meet with them to discuss things… It's a critical time within this organization, and it would seem they feel whatever negative publicity may result from this is trumped by the level of urgency to get over the hurdle and win a cup."
Sounds like the Oiler leadership group is firmly behind the Oilers going down this path. Babcock did meet with them to discuss things.
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) June 8, 2026
It’s a critical time within this organization and it would seem they feel whatever negative publicity may result from this is trumped by the…
Elliotte Friedman confirmed on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Babcock had already met with owner Daryl Katz and key members of the leadership group. Friedman noted that McDavid appears to be on board, though Leon Draisaitl, who is currently in Europe, has not yet had a chance to meet with Babcock directly.
After the first-round exit this past spring McDavid said the "organization as a whole has taken a step back," and Draisaitl admitted he was "concerned because we're not trending in the right direction." GM Stan Bowman had already said publicly that McDavid and Draisaitl's opinions would factor into whoever gets hired.
As much as we feel it's not the right hire for Edmonton, insiders seem to believe the leadership group is on board with the guy.
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