‘I am just horrified about the whole thing’: Mark Messier comments on Oilers’ hiring of Mike Babcock

Sep 23, 2026, 5:07 PM ET|Comments (0)

from Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli),

When the Edmonton Oilers hired Mike Babcock to be their 19th head coach in franchise history in June, the decision was met with plenty of opprobrium. After all, Babcock had resigned as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 after receiving allegations that he had invaded his players’ privacy by requesting to see and display personal photos from their cellphones. [...] “I am absolutely shocked they hired him,” Messier said. “I’m absolutely shocked from the stories that I heard from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated.” [...] “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.”

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