Sidney Crosby offers glowing assessment of new Edmonton Oilers coach Mike Babcock
Not everybody seems to think the Edmonton Oilers made a mistake in hiring Mike Babcock as their new head coach.
The Babcock hire drew plenty of criticism given his past treatment of players. Not helping the situation is the fact that he hasn’t coached a regular-season game since 2019, while not winning a playoff series since 2013.
Though the frustration and confusion surrounding the Babcock hire was justified, there are some who have failed to recognize that the 63-year-old remains a very sharp hockey mind.
One player who appears to still hold the controversial head coach in high regard is Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar played under Babcock at both the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, and seemed to come away quite impressed with how prepared he was on a day-to-day basis.
“Really good bench management when it comes to matching lines, just a feel for the game,” Crosby told Michael Traikos of The Hockey News. “He was really good at painting a clear picture on how he wanted us to play and what guys’ jobs were.”
Crosby also described Babcock as a “really organized” head coach.
Sidney Crosby said the Oilers are getting a "really organized" coach in Mike Babcock:
"Really good bench management when it comes to matching lines … just a feel for the game. He was really good at painting a clear picture on how he wanted us to play and what guys' jobs were."
— Michael Traikos (@Michael_Traikos) September 8, 2026
Granted, Crosby hasn’t spent a lengthy period of time with Babcock as his head coach. However, the 39-year-old, who made his NHL debut in 2005, has been around the game long enough to know a good coach when he sees one. Clearly, Babcock made a positive impression.
Of course, it can’t be ignored that plenty of others who have played under Babcock have had far less favourable things to say. There have been several accusations of bullying, manipulation, and unnecessary mind games that have reportedly caused tensions in past dressing rooms.
The good news for the Oilers is that Babcock should understand better than anyone that this could be his final opportunity to prove he can succeed as an NHL head coach. If he can keep his past antics in the rearview mirror, his experience, organization, and hockey IQ could ultimately prove to be valuable assets for an Edmonton team hoping to finally get over the hump.
Whether Babcock can actually do that, however, remains to be seen.
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