Zach Hyman's comments about Mike Babcock have rubbed some people the wrong way
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Zach Hyman gave Mike Babcock a full endorsement on Monday.
The detail worth noticing is who Edmonton asked, not what he said.
The Edmonton Oilers hired Babcock on June 23, replacing Kris Knoblauch a month after firing him. CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson said Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Hyman were consulted on the decision.
Only one of those three has ever played for the man. Hyman spent five seasons under Babcock with the Toronto Maple Leafs beginning in 2015-16.
Speaking on Sportsnet 590's First Up, Hyman said Babcock was phenomenal to him as a young player and that he thinks extremely highly of him as a coach.
"I had a very good experience with Mike in Toronto... I think he's a phenomenal coach. I think extremely highly of him."
- Zach Hyman
- Zach Hyman
You know Hyman's comments rubbed many people the wrong way, specifically those who were against the Babcock hiring.
He also said something far less quoted. Players do not have much say on coaching decisions, and he was asked specifically because of his history.
The witness Edmonton picked was the safest one
Babcock's documented conflicts have almost always involved skilled forwards and established veterans. Mitch Marner, Johan Franzen and Mike Modano sit on that list.
Hyman was never that player in Toronto. He was the forechecker Babcock stapled to Auston Matthews, because Babcock openly preferred puck retrievers around scorers.
Hyman is the archetype Babcock has always loved. His experience is real, and it is also the least likely one in that room to surface a problem.
Why every fan base should watch this
The NHL cleared Babcock on June 18 after reviewing his Columbus Blue Jackets exit, and the NHLPA said there was no basis to restrict his employment.
That built a reinstatement path other teams can now follow. The player-consultation step is the part that travels.
Asking your stars whether they are comfortable only means something if someone in the room has actually lived it. Edmonton's sample was one, and it was the friendliest available.
Babcock may still be exactly right for this group.
The process that approved him was thinner than the headline suggests.
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