Connor McDavid is not afraid of a hard coaching style. He’s actually asking for it.
The Edmonton Oilers captain spoke publicly Wednesday about the team’s decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach, and he made one thing clear: he’s tired of doing things the same way.
Babcock hasn’t coached an NHL game since 2019. He was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 and resigned before running a single practice after reports surfaced about potential player privacy violations. But the Oilers went ahead and brought him in anyway, and McDavid is fully on board.
“The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result,” McDavid said, via Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. “Babs is different. He gives us a different personality, a different approach to our group, and an approach that we’ve probably have never had. We’ve tried it the same way for a really long time. Let’s try it different.”
A polarizing figure returns
Babcock has a complicated track record. He took the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Final in 2003. He won it all with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. But his reputation took serious hits in Toronto, where reports alleged he targeted rookie Mitch Marner, and then in Columbus, where the privacy concerns ended his tenure before it started.
Edmonton is taking a gamble. There’s no other way to put it. Babcock’s abrasive style has cost him jobs, and some players around the league have openly questioned whether he can adapt. But the Oilers clearly believe the reward could outweigh the risk.
McDavid seems to think a different voice is worth the uncertainty. The Oilers have made deep playoff runs but haven’t won a Cup. They’ve tried skill. They’ve tried speed. They’ve tried getting by on talent alone. Babcock brings something none of those teams had: a coach who will push buttons, even if it makes people uncomfortable.
“I’m excited about that challenge to be pushed by a coach,” McDavid said. “Because it’s been a really long time in Edmonton. It’s time to have that happen in Edmonton. It’s time.”
For a captain who usually keeps his cards close, that’s about as direct as it gets.
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