Mike Babcock isn’t dwelling on his departure from Toronto as he prepares to face his former team for the first time Saturday.
Asked Friday about facing the visiting Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET, the Edmonton Oilers head coach made light of the years that have passed since his dismissal.
“You know, it’s about a hundred years ago, right?” Babcock said after practice. “So, you know, even the Beatles broke up, so you get on with it kind of thing.”
Babcock, in his first season with Edmonton, coached the Maple Leafs from 2015 until he was firedin November 2019 following a six-game losing streak.
Toronto reached the playoffs three times during his tenure but failed to advance beyond the first round, losing to Washington in 2017 and Boston in 2018 and 2019.
Babcock acknowledged those shortcomings but said he remains proud of his years in Toronto, particularly his role in developing young stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly.
“We weren’t a veteran team, and in the end, we didn’t get it done at playoff time, and so that’s why I got a new address,” he said.
Oilers name Mike Babcock head coach after NHL clears his hiring
Babcock praised the progress of his former players, including Matthews.
“It’s always great to see his progression in the league and how good a player he is,” Babcock said. “He scored four goals, I think his first game in the league, but he’s still come miles in that time.”
He also spoke of Nylander, recalling how the forward would spend hours interacting with children at team events.
“I’m proud of my time there. I loved my time there,” he said.
Matthews, meanwhile, credits Babcock with helping him understand the defensive side of the game early in his NHL career.
“I think there was a big focus on defensive stuff,” Matthews said after Toronto’s practice Friday. “A lot of video on guys like [Henrik] Zetterberg, [Patrice] Bergeron, [Sidney] Crosby, stuff like that.”
Matthews said he didn’t fully appreciate the importance of defensive positioning and awareness when he entered the league as a teenager.
Maple Leafs’ Tavares out week-to-week with lower-body injury
Oft-injured Maple Leaf Chris Tanev out week-to-week
“I feel like that’s kind of what he preached a lot, especially my first couple years,” he said.
Babcock’s return to the NHL has been a successful one so far.
His Oilers lead the Pacific Division with an 8-1-1 record, while the Leafs are riding a three-game winning streak and sit fourth in the Atlantic at 6-4-and-2.
Edmonton has won eight of its nine games since an opening-night overtime loss to Vancouver.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid said the team has responded well to Babcock’s coaching style, even when the message has been blunt.
“There’s been times where he’s given it to us, and we’ve needed that, and there’s been times where it’s been positive, too,” McDavid said Friday. “He just calls it how it is, and that’s obviously what we want.
McDavid, who has 31 points through 10 games, said the Oilers are still adjusting to Babcock’s system with an eye toward the post-season.
Connor McDavid is off to a historic start. Could some of Gretzky’s records fall this season?
McDavid’s 3-point first period propels Oilers past Kings
“We’re trying to build a game that works not in October, but come April and May and June,” he said.
McDavid also expects a lively atmosphere Saturday when Toronto visits Rogers Place.
“Love when the Toronto fans show up in our building, and it’s loud, and you get both sides going,” he said. “It makes for a fun atmosphere and should be a fun game.”
Despite the strong start, Babcock said his focus remains on improving each day rather than worrying about expectations for the season.
“I’m just going to keep trying to get better and enjoy what I’m doing,” he said. “I think I’m in a phenomenal situation. I just get to have fun every day.”
Meanwhile, the Oilers placed netminder Devon Levi on injured reserve Friday with an undisclosed injury. The squad has called up goaltender Matt Tomkins from the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors under emergency conditions. Tristan Jarry will start in net Saturday.
