‘Phenomenal coach’: Oilers’ Hyman praises Babcock ahead of reunion

Veteran forward Zach Hyman praised Mike Babcock as the controversial coach prepares to return to an NHL bench this season.

“I obviously had a very good experience with Mike in Toronto," Hyman said at his annual charity golf tournament on Monday.

Babcock first coached Hyman during the first four seasons of the winger's career, from 2015-19, when both were with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Babcock will now take the reins again with the Edmonton Oilers after a seven-year absence from coaching in the NHL. Babcock replaced Kris Knoblauch, who was fired after Edmonton's first-round playoff loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

"He did a great job with a lot of the young players that were there (in Toronto)," Hyman said. "All of us have had pretty long careers and are still playing. He set the foundation for us.

I think he's a phenomenal coach; I think extremely highly of him.

Babcock, 63, was last in the NHL before the 2023 season, when he resigned as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets before coaching a regular-season game after Spittin’ Chiclets podcaster and former NHLer Paul Bissonnette accused him of improperly viewing players’ smartphones.

Multiple sources told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman in June that one of the most serious concerns was a meeting that occurred away from team facilities that included “several minutes” of looking through a phone.

The NHL cleared the Oilers to hire Babcock after completing an investigation into his conduct. The investigation was requested by the NHL Players' Association.

"I'm happy he went through the process with the NHL and NHLPA and all those questions were answered," Hyman said on Monday.

Edmonton is hungry to contend after falling to the Florida Panthers in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances before most recently losing to the Ducks. The Oilers' clock is ticking as superstar captain Connor McDavid enters the first season of a two-year, $25-million contract extension.

Babcock has coached 16 seasons split between Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto, and led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup in 2008.

"We see a great opportunity to be coached by someone who's coached in every single big game there is to coach," McDavid said at Hyman's charity tournament. "Who's been successful, won Cups, gold medals, you name it, he's done it.

"It's a great opportunity for us players to be coached by somebody like him, and learn off him. Where our group's at and what we're looking for, it's the perfect fit. He's not going to need to come in and find who he is as a coach or find himself in those situations.

He knows what he's about as a coach, and it's our job as players to be ready to go.