Connor McDavid responds after Mike Babcock is extremely unhappy with Oilers practice

Practice at Rogers Place looked different this week, and not everyone walked away happy.

Mike Babcock ran his group through another intense session, and by the sound of it, the longtime coach was not impressed with what he saw on the ice.

That is not exactly a shock.

Babcock has built his reputation on demanding more, and his first training camp back in the league was never going to be a soft landing for anyone wearing orange and blue.

What stood out was how Connor McDavid handled it.

Instead of brushing the criticism aside, the captain leaned into it.

He made clear that he wants the bar set as high as it can possibly go, and if the coach walked away unhappy with Thursday's work, that is simply part of the process.

According to McDavid, a rough day now just means a sharper response tomorrow, and that mentality is exactly what Edmonton has been missing at times over the past few seasons.

After the session wrapped, Babcock spoke with reporters about the effort level, the details he wants ironed out before the next preseason game, and his early thinking on pairing McDavid with Leon Draisaitl.

He has been fairly open that keeping the two superstars together is where he wants to start the year, even if the matter gets revisited once games begin.

None of this is really about one practice going sideways.

It is about culture. Babcock is trying to reset expectations in Edmonton, and having his captain publicly back that approach on day one sends a message to the rest of the room.

Oilers fans have heard plenty about talent over the years.

What they have not always seen is buy in from the top down, and this week that appeared to be exactly what showed up on the ice.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Connor Hellebuyck reportedly willing to accept trade to two Canadian teams "in a minute"