Mark Messier didn’t hold back, flat out saying he was “horrified” by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to bring Mike Babcock in as their new head coach. As the NHL season gets going, everyone’s wondering if the Oilers can finally get Connor McDavid a Stanley Cup, but with Babcock now running the show, that pressure just got cranked up in a totally unexpected way.
Babcock’s Past Is More Than Just ‘Tough Coaching’
Listen, Babcock’s got a reputation. The guy led the Red Wings to a Stanley Cup and coached Team Canada to two Olympic gold medals, so he’s clearly got some wins under his belt. But he’s been away from the game for a reason, right? He’s got these controversial tactics, and some of his former players have even accused him of mental abuse. The NHLPA is literally concerned that the 63-year-old isn’t even fit to coach an NHL team. Messier, a six-time Stanley Cup champ and Oilers legend, wasn’t having any of it, telling the media he was “absolutely shocked they hired him.”
It’s not like these are new stories either. Messier said he heard “from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated. It’s been no secret.” Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets before coaching a single game because of “poor conduct,” including asking players for personal pictures from their phones. And before that, his history with the Red Wings and Maple Leafs shows he coached players way too hard. The NHL actually had to clear him just so he could take this Oilers job. That’s some serious baggage to bring into a locker room where the goal is a Stanley Cup, no?
Messier’s True Fear: What Happens When Player Leadership Is Management?
But here’s where Messier really dropped the hammer. He hinted that Oilers stars, like McDavid, might have played a “significant role” in bringing Babcock in. Messier took major issue with that kind of power structure within the organization. With a controversial coach like Babcock, that’s incredibly concerning. He said, “I think there has to be a separation of powers on the structural level of any team.” Messier stressed that “from the management to the coaching to the players, there has to be a divide.”
His point? The team’s leadership has to protect the players in the dressing room. But “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?” Messier asked. “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. There’s no separation there.”
The NHL season is kicking off with this huge cloud over Edmonton, and you gotta wonder how this plays out for McDavid and the whole Oilers squad. With Messier dropping bombs like this, the stakes are wild for every game, every locker room interaction, and especially that power structure when the puck drops.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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