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Messier 'Horrified' by Oilers' Babcock Hire
Confirmed
In Short: Former Oilers captain Mark Messier expressed shock and horror over the team's decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach.
Former Oilers captain Mark Messier said he was 'horrified' by the team's decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach, citing longstanding criticism of Babcock's methods and the circumstances of his NHL exit.
Messier told reporters, 'I'm absolutely shocked they hired him. I'm absolutely shocked that from the stories I heard from very good, reputable character people about the way they were treated.
General Manager Stan Bowman cited Babcock's extensive experience as a key factor in his appointment, noting that the club had employed two first-time head coaches in succession.
Babcock resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets three years ago after facing allegations of inappropriate behavior from players, leading to an NHL Players' Association investigation.
Babcock never coached a game during his tenure in Columbus and has not coached in the NHL since 2019.
During his introductory news conference in June, Babcock acknowledged reflecting on his departure from Columbus, saying, 'The situation in Columbus has been reviewed, and I'm thankful to the NHL and NHLPA for doing that.
Messier, now an ESPN analyst, expressed concern over the potential impact on players if things go badly under Babcock's leadership, noting, 'I just don't know if it does go bad and players are having difficulties, who do they turn to. Because if they turn to the leadership, the leadership is management.
The Oilers' decision to hire Babcock was met with significant criticism, with reports that Babcock had forced a rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates according to their competitiveness during his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite the preseason under way and the news cycle moving on, Babcock's tenure with Edmonton seemed to begin without too much turmoil.
Babcock, who led the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup win in 2008, inherits a talented Edmonton team that reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid and other key players have expressed support for Babcock, but Messier's strong reaction highlights the controversy surrounding the hiring.
Time will tell how the Babcock experiment works out for the Oilers, with Messier's passionate disapproval underscoring the potential challenges ahead.
What this adds
WarpBeat previously reported on Messier's shock over the hiring, but this new report adds Messier's specific concerns about player treatment and the potential fallout if things go badly under Babcock's leadership.
Background
Former Oilers captain Mark Messier expressed shock and horror over the team's decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach.
What's confirmed
- "I'm absolutely shocked they hired him. I'm absolutely shocked that from the stories that I heard from very good, reputable character people about the way they were treated," Messier told reporters.
What's still developing
- During the ESPN Opening Night media call on Wednesday, Hall of Fame Oiler and six-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier shared his deep disappointment in Edmonton’s hiring of Babcock.
- How can you do that when you’re directly involved with the decisions they’re making at the management level and hiring of the management and coaches?
- “I'm simply horrified by this whole situation, to be honest with you.” – Mark Messier Because we're not talking about some random former player passing through Edmonton here: we're talking about Mark Messier, a true legend in Oilers history.
- “I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you.” pic.twitter.com/Wcd7qOsm29 The Oilers' decision caused quite a stir when they hired Babcock… and it's likely to continue to do so.
- “I don’t look at what I want (down the road). As a team, I just want them getting better every day. Yesterday (Monday) I didn’t like what I saw from the group. Today we got a way better. It’s process, process, process. That’s what we’re focusing on,” said Babcock.
- “I just want Freddy to be Freddy, have some jump, get in on the fore-check. Play a simple physical game and feel good about himself. If we can get him back, he can be an important piece here,” said Babcock.
- Please try again Nobody bleeds Oiler orange and blue more than Messier.
- Babcock, hired to a multi-year contract over the summer, has acknowledged he has made players uncomfortable, saying he could have been better, pledging to do better when introduced as the new coach here.
- But, Messier, never a tap-dancer, always saying what’s on his mind, emphatically voiced his disapproval on the ESPN show.
- So far, the Oiler leaders Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman are fully on board, liking what they’ve seen from Babcock.