Messier Not Happy With Oilers Choice Of Babcock

Edmonton Oilers legend Mark Messier is not too impressed with the team’s decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach. He said the organization’s handling of the process was “something that I’ve never heard of before.” The team’s former captain from 1988-91 specifically took issue with Oilers players conducting interviews with Babcock.

“I am absolutely shocked they hired him,” he said during the ESPN NHL Opening Night media call, transcribed by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “I’m absolutely shocked by the stories that I heard from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated.”

“I agree with Ray that the way that he was onboarded through the players interviewing him is absolutely something that I’ve never heard of before. Maybe the game has changed, and that’s the way it’s going. Great. I don’t know. It certainly wasn’t like that.”

Mike Babcock officially took over as the Oilers’ head coach on June 23rd, putting an end to a lengthy coaching search that had been slowed by the organization’s pursuit of former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy. Babcock had emerged as a serious candidate earlier in the month, when reports indicated he met with Oilers owner Daryl Katz, his son Harrison, and several prominent members of the club’s leadership group, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman.

Oilers Players Created a Messy Situation

The players being involved creates a messy situation, according to Messier.

“I think there has to be a separation of powers on the structural level of any team,” he said. “I think from the management to the coaching to the players, there has to be a divide. The leadership of your team has to protect the players inside the dressing room. 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 don’t understand it.”

Babcock had been out of the NHL since 2023 after controversy erupted over his practice of looking through players’ phones and photos with them. He stepped away from his position, preventing an NHL investigation at the time. The issue resurfaced when the Oilers considered hiring him.

While the NHL cleared Babcock, its investigation found that “light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.” When he was hired by the Oilers, Babcock offered little apology for what had occurred. It was hardly the first time his conduct had come under scrutiny. Throughout his coaching career, Babcock had faced repeated criticism over his treatment of players at several stops around the NHL.