Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-17 · by John Korobanik The Canadian Press
Mike Babcock had his first practice session as the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, running four hours of intense and fast-paced skating for players divided into two groups of about 20 each. The high-energy sessions focused on fitness and detail-oriented play, with no lineup decisions made yet despite Babcock's extensive experience and recent controversy from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Babcock emphasized that he will observe and adjust, noting that it will take some time for both him and the players to get accustomed to each other's styles and expectations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Mike Babcock, recently hired as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers after a controversial departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets in early 2023, held his first on-ice practice session with the Oilers on Thursday. The four-hour high-intensity training included two two-hour sessions for about 20 players each. Babcock emphasized fitness and teamwork, planning to play with 12 forwards and ensuring all players are important contributors.
During a media scrum, Babcock joked that his feet hurt but stated he needs more time before making lineup decisions. He was cleared by the league following an investigation into his conduct while coaching the Blue Jackets last year. Babcock signed with Edmonton this spring after Kris Knoblauch was fired before beginning his new three-year contract.
Babcock's approach at Oilers camp is notably intense, setting a high standard for player fitness and team cohesion. If the Oilers hadn't offered him the position, he said he would have been hunting deer on his property in Ohio.
Written for “Oilers Hockey Camp” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Mike Babcock had his first on-ice practice as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers Thursday, and it was four hours of high-speed, detail-oriented skating and learning for both coach and players.
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it → have → coach
After running two sessions of about two hours each for groups of about 20 players, Babcock said of his first coaching day since his controversial departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, he said no lineup decisions have been made.
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decisions → run → 2023
“My feet hurt right now,” he told a media scrum.
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he → hurt → scrum
“I want to be real careful here today.
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I → want → ?
I don’t know enough to actually talk even as long as I just talked.
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I → know → enough
I’m just going to keep watching and hopefully by the time a couple exhibition games are done, I’ll have a better handle on what’s going on.
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what → go → handle
“What I wanted to do is, we’re going to play without the puck.
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we → want → puck
In order to play here, you’ve got to be fit and we’re going to play 12 forwards and everyone’s going to be important.
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everyone → play → forwards
I think it’s important you establish a standard for what’s accepted and everybody knows.”
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everybody → think → standard
Babcock, who was cleared to work for the Oilers following the league’s conclusion of an investigation into his conduct while with Columbus in 2023, signed with Edmonton this spring after the team fired Kris Knoblauch before his new three-year contract had been started.
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contract → clear → Knoblauch
Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets less than three months after taking the job.
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Babcock → resign → job
At the time, his requests for personal photos from players, which he said were part of an effort to get to know them, drew criticism as an invasion of privacy.
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he → say → privacy
Babcock said Thursday if the Oilers hadn’t approached him, he would be back on his property in Ohio bow hunting for deer.
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he → say → deer
“I would say this to you.
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I → say → you
If they hadn’t come and talked to me, it’s not like I was looking for work.
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I → come → work
When I see my deer pictures in the morning, I can’t believe I’m doing this as a matter of fact.”
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I → see → fact
He said the Oilers leadership group of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman convinced him they want to win a championship and “I’m going to do what I can to help them out.”
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I → say → them
“I’ve talked to these guys a lot.
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I → talk → guys
They told me what they want.
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they → tell → what
Now that’s my job, to make sure they get what they want.”
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they → ’ → what
Draisaitl said the first practice under the new coach was intense and detail oriented.
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practice → say → coach
“You know, he’s energetic.
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he → know → ?
He wants things done a certain way, and he wants it done right,” Draisaitl said.
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Draisaitl → want → ?
“I think anyone in the building could hear it and probably see it.
uncertain
anyone → think → it
He cares about the little things, so it
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He → care → things
Draisaitl said every coach has his own tendencies and it will take the Oilers players time to get used to Babcock’s ways.
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it → say → ways
“It takes a week for him to get used to us and us to learn the drills and whatnot,” Draisaitl said.
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Draisaitl → take → drills
Defenceman Ryan Shea agreed that Babcock was stressing details and speed on Day 1.
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Babcock → agree → Day
“I think that was his big message today,” said Shea who was signed to a five-year contract as a free agent this summer.
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who → think → agent
Everything, he wanted everything quick and just the little things, like he wants everyone finishing the drill, stopping at the net, everything that it takes to be a good player and a good team.
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it → want → that
“He was harping on to that a little bit.”
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He → harp → that
One of the many decisions Babcock faces in the future is how to play McDavid and Draisaitl.
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Babcock → face → McDavid
He said he plans to start with the two playing on the same line, much as the two did last season.
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two → say → line
“I’d like to tell you something, but I’ve got nothing to tell you,” he added about line makeups.
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he → like → makeups
“What we’re going to do is we’re going to learn about each other.
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we → go → other
You guys, that’s your job to speculate and come up with these theories.
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that → ’ → theories
I don’t have any yet.
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I → have → any
I’m just going to watch them.”
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I → go → them
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
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