Mike Babcock returns to Toronto as Oilers head coach

Mike Babcock will coach the Edmonton Oilers against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena, his first game back in Toronto since the Maple Leafs fired him on Nov. 20, 2019.

Babcock on his Toronto tenure

Babcock said he enjoyed much of his time with the Maple Leafs. "I loved it," Babcock said. "I worked with real good people. I enjoyed the heck out of my first three years here. I worked with good hockey men. It was enjoyable. I didn't enjoy my last year and a half as much, but, you know, that's the business. But I really enjoyed my time here."

The Maple Leafs hired Babcock on May 20, 2015, signing him to an eight-year contract. Toronto finished last in a 30-team NHL with 69 points in 2015-16 and won the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery and the right to select Auston Matthews with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Maple Leafs made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including setting what at the time was a franchise record with 105 points in 2017-18, but they lost in the first round each time.

"We went from a situation where we were able to draft Auston and then the team got better," Babcock said. "We made the playoffs. We set a franchise record for points. We didn't have enough success in the playoffs but that's often what happens with young teams. In the end they gave me a five-year holiday, which I really enjoyed."

Oilers performance and Saturday matchup

Babcock is coaching in the NHL regular season for the first time since Toronto fired him. The Oilers have won 14 of their first 20 games (14-3-3) and Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists), bringing his 20-game point streak into the game against the Maple Leafs.

Babcock, now 63 years old, said he's having more fun coaching the Oilers than he even thought he was going to have. "I'm very thankful for those guys to come to see me," he said. "I didn't know I was going to have this much fun doing it. It's been great and lots of laughs and I'm enjoying the guys. We've got a really good leadership group. We've got fun people. We've got good pros."

Not sentimental about the return

Babcock said he is not getting sentimental over his return to Scotiabank Arena nearly seven years since he was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Yeah, but I mean, this is (seven) years ago; the Beatles broke up, remember," Babcock told reporters while smiling during a press conference after the Oilers practice Friday.

Being back in Toronto might spark some memories, but it's not something Babcock seems too concerned with, especially when it comes to how he might be received and remembered by the Maple Leafs fanbase. "Well, I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about that," he said.

Why it matters

• The Oilers sit first in the Pacific Division heading into Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs.
• Babcock's return marks his first NHL regular-season game coaching in Toronto since his 2019 firing.
• Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 49 points through 20 games and carries a 20-game point streak into the matchup.

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Sources

• nhl.com: Babcock not getting sentimental over Toronto return with Oilers | NHL.com
• sportsnet.ca: Babcock returns to Toronto as head coach of Oilers - Sportsnet.ca
• nytimes.com: Mike Babcock downplays Leafs legacy talk ahead of return: ‘The Beatles broke up, remember?’ - The Athletic

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.