Babcock's First Oilers Game Comes Saturday Against Winnipeg

Mike Babcock takes his first turn behind the Edmonton bench on Saturday, when the Oilers open a four-game preseason schedule against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place.

Puck drop is 6:00 PM MT, with the game streaming on Oilers+ and available on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED.

It doubles as Fan Day in Edmonton. The event runs from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM, starting with the game roster's morning skate at 9:30 AM and a practice for the rest of the group at the Downtown Community Arena at 10:10 AM. Admission is free, and there are open practices, a locker room sale and family activities on the schedule. Saturday's lineup will be revealed at the morning skate.

Babcock, 63, is coaching an NHL game for the first time since 2019, and he has spent the opening on-ice sessions of camp sorting through line combinations and defence pairings while pushing the pace he wants the team to play at. He says the compressed preseason raises the stakes for everyone trying to make an impression.

"If you're coming back as a coach, you know way more than when you're new as a coach. Everyone gets a fresh chance," Babcock said. "I don't know of a better situation now that camp's so short. They've made it hard, so I'm not going to learn a whole bunch until I'm standing on the pine there tomorrow night."