The return that has Toronto talking

Nearly seven years to the day after the Maple Leafs dismissed him, Mike Babcock stands behind the visitor's bench at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. The storyline writes itself: a polarizing figure returns to the scene of his most scrutinized tenure, now leading a Stanley Cup contender that sits atop the Pacific Division with a 14-3-3 record.

Babcock's pre-game availability Friday did little to feed the nostalgia machine. Yeah, but I mean, this is (seven) years ago; the Beatles broke up, remember, he told reporters with a smile, per NHL.com. He later called his firing a five-year holiday he really enjoyed. The quotes are vintage Babcock — deflecting, dry, refusing to hand the moment more weight than he thinks it deserves.

What changed since November 2019

The Maple Leafs hired Babcock in May 2015 on an eight-year, US$50-million contract. Toronto finished last in his first season, securing the draft lottery and Auston Matthews. The next three years brought playoff berths and a franchise-record 105 points in 2017-18, but four first-round exits — including two Game 7 losses to Boston — defined the tenure. He was fired 23 games into year five with a 9-10-4 record.

His overall Leafs ledger: 173-133-45. Respectable by any measure, yet the post-mortem focused on player-management friction, notably with Mitch Marner, and a perception that his methods had expired.

Then came the Columbus chapter. Hired as Blue Jackets head coach in 2023, Babcock resigned before coaching a game after allegations surfaced that he asked players to show photos on their cellphones — a privacy violation that reignited questions about his approach. Sportsnet notes he was at peace if that had signalled the end of his NHL run.

Why Edmonton, why now

Edmonton's leadership group — Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman — met with Babcock after last spring's first-round exit. They saw a fit. Twenty games in, the results validate the hire: the Oilers are third in the overall standings, McDavid leads the NHL with 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists) on a 20-game point streak to start the season, and the room describes a cultural shift.

(Babcock's) come in and set a standard here that we strive to meet every day, McDavid told Sportsnet. When we don't, we hear about it, and that's what we want. He's come in and been great, honestly. Seems to care for the people around him, which is obviously important.

Hyman, who debuted in Toronto under Babcock after four years of U.S. college hockey and one in the AHL, offered a player's longitudinal view: You always grow as a person. Our record speaks for itself in the hockey department, but on the personal side of things, he's been phenomenal. Guys have really enjoyed being around him, getting to know him. He's brought in new life to the locker room. It's been very positive.

The contrast on the other bench

Toronto arrives 8-11-2, having beaten Edmonton 7-2 at Rogers Place on Oct. 24. That result feels like a different season for both clubs. The Leafs are searching for consistency under Craig Berube; the Oilers are riding the league's best player and a coach who, by all accounts, has recalibrated.

Babcock, 63, says he's having more fun coaching the Oilers than he even thought he was going to have. He downplays the reception he'll receive Saturday: Well, I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about that. The Beatles line was a joke, but the subtext is deliberate — he wants the focus on the two points available, not the seven years gone.

What to watch Saturday

  • McDavid's streak: 20 games with a point to open the season. The NHL record for longest point streak to start a season is 30 (Mario Lemieux, 1992-93).
  • Special teams: Edmonton's power play has been lethal; Toronto's penalty kill will be tested.
  • Goaltending matchup: Stuart Skinner vs. Joseph Woll/Anthony Stolarz — a potential swing factor.
  • The crowd reaction: Scotiabank Arena knows Babcock's resume. A polite applause? Boos? Indifference? His own prediction: I don't spend a whole lot of time thinking about that.

Signal versus noise

The noise is the narrative redemption arc — the prodigal coach returning vindicated. The signal is simpler: a Hall-of-Fame-caliber bench boss (Stanley Cup with Detroit, two Olympic golds with Canada) took a job with the league's best player and a roster built to win now, and the early returns are elite. Whether that translates to June is the only question that matters. Saturday is just the next data point, played in a building where the last one didn't end the way anyone wanted.