Zach Hyman was clear about one thing after practice on Monday. Mike Babcock is back behind an NHL bench, but the players are the ones who have to go out and prove it.
The Edmonton Oilers open their 2026–27 season at Rogers Place tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. It is the first regular season game under Babcock, who was hired as head coach this past summer after several years away from the NHL.
Hyman spoke to reporters after the final skate before opening night and said the responsibility for how the team plays falls on the group, not the man running it.
“It’s not the Mike Babcock show,” Hyman said. “It’s on us to go out, perform, and be the ones doing it.”
Zach Hyman believes players have to live up to Mike Babcock’s standards
Babcock has been direct with his group about the style of play he wants. Hyman said the coach draws the line, and then the veterans are expected to hold it day to day.
“He’s the coach, so you want a sense of authority,” Hyman said. “What he says about how we want to play sets the standard. Then, as leaders, we have to go out and set the standard so everybody’s doing it the right way all the time.”
Hyman shared that Babcock is quick to step in when something is not right, but that the tone in practice has been positive. According to him, the players know what is expected.
Mike Babcock’s sessions largely focus on video
One of the things Babcock brought with him is a close attention to video. Players show up on screen when they are in the wrong spot, and when asked if it’s embarrassing, Hyman said nobody is letting it get to them.
“If you’re doing something wrong, you see it, you recognize it, and we move on. It’s not pointing somebody out and saying, “Hey, you’re not doing this.” It’s more of a teaching thing: “This guy’s got to be in this spot.” Everybody realizes it, and we’re on to the next clip. It’s been very clear, and I think the preseason showed that we’re playing differently than we have in the past. We’ll carry that into the regular season,” Hyman explained.
Hyman mentioned the sessions run about five minutes and move fast.
“We have a lot of video, and there’s a lot of detail, so the tone is do things fast, with detail. There’s a sense of urgency and accountability: if you don’t do it, you’re going to show up on video. A lot of guys are buying in and doing things the right way. I’m sure there will be mistakes, as there always are in games, but we’ll correct them,” Hyman said.
Hyman claims Babcock has changed since his Toronto days
Babcock notably coached Hyman when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hyman was asked whether this is the same coach players saw there, and he said the core is the same but certain things have changed.
“That’s a great question. I think everybody changes, no matter who you are. I’m probably a different person and player than I was six years ago, though I have the same elements that make me who I am. You want to say you’ve grown as a player and a person,” Hyman said.
The detail and the structure are still there, Hyman said, but the way the team plays looks different. Babcock watches video constantly and has adapted how he coaches. Hyman also pointed to the atmosphere around the group as something that stands out.
“For Babs, the things that are the same are his detail, his coaching, and his structure. The things that have changed are that the way we play is a little different. He’s grown as a coach even though he hadn’t coached in five years. He watches video like nobody else, watches hockey, and can learn and adapt,” he explained.
“He’s happy and fun to be around… He’s bringing energy. The whole coaching staff has been super positive. It’s been a great environment to learn.”
Oilers will take it one game at a time
Edmonton has come close to a Stanley Cup twice in the last three years without getting there. Hyman was asked about what it would take to finally close the gap, and he kept pulling the focus back to tonight.
“We have to play 84 games, so we have to tackle game one,” he said. “That’s the mindset: do things right every day.”
He said the team has not won its division since he arrived, and that even that is too far ahead to think about right now. The goal is to build something over the course of the season, one game at a time.
“You can’t just say we’re ready to win a Cup right now,” Hyman said. “You have to go through the process.”
As for Hyman himself, he comes into 2026–27 with 494 career points. He needs six to reach 500. He put up 31 goals and 52 points in just 58 games last season, which puts the milestone well within reach in the first few weeks. There is a real chance it gets crossed off before the end of October.
The Oilers and Canucks drop the puck tonight at Rogers Place.
