Zach Hyman didn’t hide how much Mike Babcock has meant to him, and that relationship now gives the Edmonton Oilers’ coach a different kind of spotlight.
In a recent interview, Hyman talked about the way Babcock handled him back when he was a young player with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The message was clear: early belief mattered. Hyman said Babcock was there for him when he was trying to earn a place in the league and prove he belonged.
“You always need somebody who believes in you, especially early in your career, when you’re trying to make a name for yourself and grab a roster spot. And he was somebody who believed in me right from the start. There were a lot of doubters in Toronto early on about whether I should have been playing where I was, but he always had the confidence to put me on the ice, trust my game, and help me grow as a player.”
Hyman also pointed to the way Babcock described him in those Toronto days, saying Babcock used to call him the hardest worker and best puck digger on the team. That kind of praise, Hyman said, had a real effect on his confidence as a young player.
He added that people change over time, and that Babcock has changed too. As Hyman put it, “As Hyman noted, you always grow as a person.
He’s not the same person he was six or seven years ago, so he’s been great. Obviously, the record speaks for itself in the hockey department, but personally, he’s been phenomenal.”
Hyman said the Oilers have enjoyed being around Babcock and getting to know him. He described the atmosphere around the team as positive and said Babcock has brought a new light to the locker room.
“You know, you’ve been around, you’ve seen it. It’s been very positive, so it’s been great.”
For Hyman, this is about more than coaching. He sees Babcock as a mentor who pushed him on the ice and helped him grow off it too. Hyman believes Babcock backed him when others had doubts, and that support helped shape him as a player.
He also said the second run with Babcock has been especially enjoyable because he’s older now. “And, yeah, it’s been really fun having a second stint with him, being older now.
Everything goes… like, 24 when we started, and now I’m 34. So I think everybody knows how highly I think of him, and it’s been a great start here in Edmonton.”
That leaves a bigger question hanging over Babcock’s current role in Edmonton. Hyman’s comments suggest the coach has already made a strong impression on at least one player. The question now is whether that impact can carry over to the Oilers’ larger goals.
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Names such as Cam York, Alexander Nikishin, Rasmus Sandin and Simon Edvinsson have surfaced as possible fits because of their age, contract situations and longer-term appeal. None of that means a deal is close, and the Leafs still have to find the right match if they want to turn interest into an actual upgrade, but the fact they are being linked to this tier of defender says plenty about how they view their next move. [Read more 🡒]
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Leafs Are Seeing Progress But One Problem Still Looms
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Hiller also pointed to signs of progress in the Leafs recent play, even if the clean-up work is far from finished. Mistakes are still showing up, but the bigger message was about sustaining a positive culture and carrying that mindset into the next stretch of games, with the quality of the Blue Jays setup serving as a reminder that sometimes a different environment can help a team reset. [Read more 🡒]