​Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images GettyMike Babcock GettyThe Edmonton Oilers made several new hires during the offseason, which include head coach Mike Babcock and DJ Smith to replace the terminated Kris Knoblauch and Mark Stuart.Another hiring that the Oilers made was bringing aboard Hockey Canada’s Misha Donskov as a coaching consultant in late August.Having previously worked with Babcock before on the international stage, Donskov revealed it was Babcock who reached out to him to join the Oilers.“It is a unique opportunity. I’ve know Mike (Babcock) for over 10 years. I was fortunate to be on his staff at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey,” he said via Jason Gregor on X. “Babs reached out to me in the summer and laid out this opportunity. We went back and forth and then I met Stan Bowman in Edmonton when I was in town for the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament. My role is about sharing my ideas and information from my experience Internationally and in the NHL. I will be in Edmonton roughly six days a month and then the rest of the month I will be supporting the staff remotely. I’ve also coached with DJ (Smith), so I feel comfortable communicating with both of them as well as Farley (Paul McFarland). Knowing them and having worked with them makes it a good fit.”Misha Donskov Joined The Edmonton Oilers As A Coaching ConsultantGettyMike Babcock
Babcock, who reached out to Donskov, said that the club was excited to have him on board.“We are excited to have Misha join our coaching staff,” Babcock said. “We believe his wealth of experience, people skills and professionalism will make our group better. We look forward to the positive impact he will have on our staff, players and the Oilers organization.”Meanwhile, Hockey Canada knows that it’s a tremendous opportunity for him.“We consider this a tremendous experience for Misha, especially as we prepare to host the World Juniors with him as our head coach in December,” said Scott Salmond, Senior Vice President of High Performance and Hockey Operations with Hockey Canada. “Misha is a proven winner and a tremendous leader, and we are excited that he will continue to develop his skills through this new position with the Edmonton Oilers, which we know will positively impact both of our organizations on and off the ice.”Donskov Will Still Work With Hockey CanadaAlthough Donskov has joined the Oilers, he will remain in his role as Hockey Canada’s vice president of hockey operations and coach of its national men’s team.The London, Ontario native previously spent two seasons behind the bench with the Dallas Stars before joining the Vegas Golden Knights, where he worked in coaching and hockey operations for seven years and helped the club capture the 2023 Stanley Cup.Like HEAVY’s content?Be sure to follow us.This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post Misha Donskov Reveals How Mike Babcock Recruited Him To Oilers appeared first on HEAVY.