The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to face off against the Edmonton Oilers for the first time this season. This matchup will also mark the first encounter between Jim Hiller and Mike Babcock as head coaches of their teams.
Hiller worked as an assistant coach under Babcock for five years, with four of those years spent at the Maple Leafs. After being let go by Toronto in November 2019, Babcock didn’t return to coaching in the NHL until this season.
“It’s great to see him back,” Hiller said following practice on Friday.
D. J. Smith is another familiar face on the Oilers’ bench as one of Babcock’s assistants, and Hiller has a long-standing connection with him. Both were assistants in Toronto from 2015-16 through 2018-19.
Afterward, they both had a stint with the Los Angeles Kings, where Hiller served as head coach while Smith was his assistant from midway through the 2023-24 season until Hiller was dismissed by the team last March.
Gavin Mc Kenna Reveals Story Behind Maple Leafs’ Mystery Goal Celebration
Gavin Mc Kenna Reveals Story Behind Maple Leafs’ Mystery Goal Celebration The Toronto Maple Leafs have welcomed their No. 1 overall pick from the 2026 draft by using one of his goal celebrations from his time at Penn State
“It’s not just Mike – it’s D. J. Smith,” Hiller pointed out. “He and I share a long history and relationship. Probably thinking about how many times I beat him in pickleball, honestly. But yeah, those are fun games. Just like players enjoy seeing ex-teammates and such, it’s nice to catch up with them.”
The start of Hiller’s career really stems from the chance that Babcock gave him. The current head coach of the Maple Leafs won’t forget what Babcock did for him or what it was like working on his staff.
“Well, first of all, Babs gave me my chance, pulled me out of junior, maybe others may not have,” Hiller stated. “So that was where it all began. I thought we had a solid staff together. We enjoyed ourselves during that exciting period with the Maple Leafs back then and I look back on it fondly.”
Why The Maple Leafs Didn’t Recall Ben Danford Amid Injuries On Back End
Why The Maple Leafs Didn’t Recall Ben Danford Amid Injuries On Back End The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Dakota Mermis and Cole Mc Ward from the Toronto Marlies due to several injuries on defense. But was 20-year-old Ben Danford considered for a call-up?
The upcoming game will be quite challenging for the Maple Leafs when they visit Edmonton on Saturday. The Oilers kicked off their season with an impressive record of 8-1-1 and currently sit atop the NHL standings based on points percentage while being second overall.
Add to that Connor Mc David’s incredible start this season with 31 points in just ten games, leading all players in scoring so far. In fact, Edmonton holds three spots among NHL scoring leaders-with Leon Draisaitl at 21 points and Evan Bouchard at 19 points following their captain.
Could having insight into how Babcock prefers to operate give an edge to Hiller’s side?
“I think I know that part pretty well,” he replied somewhat vaguely. “They’ve made some subtle changes here and there but overall I’ll have a good grasp on things; however shutting them down is a whole other challenge.”
See more of The Hockey News on Google – Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues along with access to our entire magazine archive plus your free issue today subscribe over at THN. com/free! Stay updated with breaking news by signing up for our newsletter here too! And feel free to share your thoughts below this article on THN. com or create your own post within our community forum!
Source link
