The hiring of Mike Babcock by the Edmonton Oilers is one of the most fascinating coach hiring that there has been in quite some time in my mind. As Brenden Smith mentions in the clip above, Babcock has been known for being an elite tactician as far as preparing for teams and setting up systems. However, he has also been known to be known to be very manipulative in his approach to the point of even being accused of being a bully by some. Johan Franzen who Babcock coached in Detroit once said this. 

“He woke up one day and decided to hate me. To this day, I don't understand why.”

and 

“The worst was when he stopped practice just to stand there and yell at me for several minutes in front of everyone. I was completely broken. I was shaking and didn't know where to go.”

There are other examples of this sort of conduct from Mike Babcock but let me shed some light on what I believe this is about from my experience and how possibly this issue could possibly not be a problem for the Oilers and how it definitely could be a problem. 

As a Gen X person, let me say that I am very familiar with tactics like what I have heard from people in interviews and such about what Babcock has done. Babcock is a borderline baby boomer who appears to be an "old soul" in that regard. In general baby boomers felt they had to live by a very determined philosophy of working hard and not letting anything bother you. A very "push back" way of thinking that equates success with being able to handle anything and not letting anything get in your way. They have a tendency to judge a person's ability to succeed by how they respond to negative situations. They do not care if you respond in anger or otherwise as long as it doesn't bother you and you become more determined to either prove yourself or just be better. If they sense weakness in this area they will attack it in hopes that a person eventually responds. Another thing boomers have a tendency to do is use someone like this as a scapegoat for their own personal frustrations. and well.. that is what we call today bullying and abuse. In the boomer age and in a lot of my life it was labeled "motivation". If you want to see an even more intense version of this do a google search on the Mike Keenan school of coaching.

To Millennials' and Gen Zer's as well as just people not brought up in this environment like Franzen probably wasn't this can seem batshit crazy... and well it kind of is but...

First and foremost, I believe, you need a baby boomer translator in between the boomer and the Millennials and especially the Gen zers. Someone that can help them realize that the seemingly heartless direct approach that the boomer is taking is simply a product of what he knows. Sort of like the Mom that told us Gen X kids how to listen to their fathers. "Listen to what he is saying and not how he says it". If you ever wondered why the Gen X folk are not easily offended, this is why. We had to learn early that it was not getting you anywhere. Boomers demand respect and do not buy into the earning it part. I have the title and that is the authority. That is why Brenden in the clip above mentions that Brind'Amour used a style of gaining trust while Babcock does not. Brindy is more Gen X and has come to realize a more effective way. That will not matter here though as it does not appear that Babcock has embraced that. 

Enter DJ. Smith as assistant coach. A full-on Gen X minded Boomer raised player coach who is known for his exemplary communication skills. This could be the ingredient that can smooth over the possible perceived toxic approach of Babs. The support for the hurt feelings and confusing messages that will likely come down the road and the translator that keeps things on the rails. It will take leadership to keep support as well. Hyman could be that guy who seems to have been the catalyst for support for Mike from his time in Toronto.

For the younger players in this line up and even possibly older really. The idea of being disrespected and bullied can be just incomprehensible. As a Gen Xer I cannot disagree that it should be actually. For most that have lived their lives from the 90s until now the type of "motivation" that people like Babcock seem to embrace is not to be tolerated. The whole concept of beating people down in order to motivate them is foreign and could be thought of as something to be punished not embraced. If the players cannot remove themselves from the offense they may feel from this approach it may not matter how it is attempted to be smoothed over. If this is the case it could end up being a long season and/or a short tenure for Babcock.