‘My feet hurt’: Babcock, Oilers open camp with uptempo practices

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.

Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets less than three months after taking the 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.

Babcock said Thursday if the Oilers hadn’t approached him, he would be back on his property in Ohio bow hunting for deer.

“I would say this to you. If they hadn’t come and talked to me, it’s not like I was looking for work. When I see my deer pictures in the morning, I can’t believe I’m doing this as a matter of 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.”

“I’ve talked to these guys a lot. They told me what they want. Now that’s my job, to make sure they get what they want.”

Draisaitl said the first practice under the new coach was intense and detail oriented.

“You know, he’s energetic. He wants things done a certain way, and he wants it done right,” Draisaitl said. “I think anyone in the building could hear it and probably see it. Details are great. He cares about the little things, so it was a good first day.”

Draisaitl said every coach has his own tendencies and it will take the Oilers players time to get used to Babcock’s ways.

“It takes a week for him to get used to us and us to learn the drills and whatnot,” Draisaitl said. “So, it was good. It was uptempo. It was great.”

Defenceman Ryan Shea agreed that Babcock was stressing details and speed on Day 1.

“I think that was his big message today,” said Shea who was signed to a five-year contract as a free agent this summer. “Everything was upbeat. 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.

“He was harping on to that a little bit.”

One of the many decisions Babcock faces in the future is how to play McDavid and Draisaitl. He said he plans to start with the two playing on the same line, much as the two did last season.

“I’d like to tell you something, but I’ve got nothing to tell you,” he added about line makeups. “What we’re going to do is we’re going to learn about each other. You guys, that’s your job to speculate and come up with these theories. I don’t have any yet. I’m just going to watch them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2026.

John Korobanik, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

‘My feet hurt’: Babcock, Oilers open camp with uptempo practices

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