“Are we playing here, boys, or no?” the Edmonton Oilers head coach shouted during one drill.
asserted
coach → play → drill
Babcock certainly has his team playing 20 games into the season as he looks help a high-octane roster led by superstar captain Connor McDavid over its championship hump.
asserted
he → have → hump
The decorated and controversial bench boss is also back in Toronto, a place where he enjoyed success with a young Maple Leafs group before ultimately getting fired two months into his fifth season.
asserted
he → enjoy → season
“Well, I loved it,” Babcock said Friday with his skates still on, not far where he used to hold press conferences.
asserted
he → love → conferences
“I worked with real good people.
asserted
I → work → people
I enjoyed the heck out of my first three years here.
asserted
I → enjoy → years
Worked with good hockey men, and it was enjoyable.
asserted
it → work → men
I didn’t enjoy my last year-and-a-half as much, but that’s the business.
asserted
that → enjoy → year
The Saskatoon product — a Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings who also led Canada to consecutive Olympic gold medals — signed an earthmoving eight-year contract worth US$50-million to coach Toronto in 2015.
asserted
who → lead → 2015
The club finished last in his first season as it looked to secure the right to select Auston Matthews with the No. 1 pick at the 2016 NHL draft.
asserted
it → finish → draft
The Maple Leafs made the playoffs the next three springs under Babcock, but were unable to advance past the first round, including a pair of Game 7 losses to the Boston Bruins.
asserted
Leafs → make → Bruins
Toronto started his fifth campaign a scuffling 9-10-4 before Babcock was fired Nov. 20, 2019, and replaced by Sheldon Keefe.
asserted
Babcock → start → Keefe
“We went from a situation where we were able to draft Auston and then the team got better,” said the 63-year-old, who went 173-133-45 with the Maple Leafs.
asserted
who → go → Leafs
“We made the playoffs.
asserted
We → make → playoffs
We set a franchise record for points.
asserted
We → set → points
We didn’t have enough success in the playoffs, but that’s often what happens with young teams.
asserted
what → have → teams
“And in the end, they gave me a five-year holiday, which I really enjoyed.”
asserted
I → give → which
Following his dismissal, there were rumblings about how Babcock treated young players — namely Mitch Marner — in Toronto.
asserted
Babcock → follow → Toronto
He returned in 2023 as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, but resigned before ever stepping behind the bench after allegations surfaced that he violated players’ privacy by asking to see pictures on their cellphones.
asserted
he → return → cellphones
Babcock was at peace if that had signalled the end of his NHL run, but Edmonton’s leadership group that includes McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman met with him in the wake of last season’s first-round playoff exit to see if there was a fit in the Alberta capital.
asserted
that → signal → capital
Things are humming along thus far.
asserted
Things → hum → ?
The Oilers sit first in the Pacific Division and third in the overall standings with a 14-3-3 mark heading into Saturday’s date with the slumping Maple Leafs (8-11-2), who picked up a 7-2 victory in Edmonton on Oct. 24.
asserted
who → sit → Oct.
“(Babcock’s) come in and set a standard here that we strive to meet every day,” said McDavid, who leads the league with an outrageous 49 points through 20 games.
asserted
who → come → games
“When we don’t, we hear about it, and that’s what we want.
asserted
we → do → what
He’s come in and been great, honestly.
asserted
He → come → ?
“Seems to care for the people around him, which is obviously important.”
Hyman got his NHL start in Toronto under Babcock after four years in the U.S. college ranks and another in the American Hockey League.
“You always grow as a person,” the winger said of his former and current coach.
asserted
winger → seem → coach
“Our record speaks for itself in the hockey department, but on the personal side of things, he’s been phenomenal.
asserted
he → speak → things
Guys have really enjoyed being around him, getting to know him.
asserted
Guys → enjoy → him
“He’s brought in new life to the locker room.
asserted
He → bring → room
On an eye-popping 20-game point streak to start the season, McDavid said the entire staff has offered a different vibe and dynamic.
asserted
staff → pop → vibe
“A lot of juice,” said the centre.
asserted
centre → say → juice
“At times we were missing that a little bit last year … it rubs off on the players, too.
asserted
it → miss → players
One that Babcock shares as he gets another crack at hockey glory after sitting down with McDavid and Co.
“I’m very thankful for those guys to come to see me,” he said.
asserted
he → share → me
“I didn’t know I was going to have this much fun doing it.
asserted
I → know → it
It’s been great and lots of laughs and I’m enjoying the guys.
asserted
I → enjoy → guys
We’ve got a really good leadership group.
asserted
We → get → group
We’ve got fun people.
asserted
We → get → people
We’ve got good pros.
asserted
We → get → pros
“They have fun and I’m having fun.”
asserted
I → have → fun
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.
asserted
report → publish → Press
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