The Edmonton Oilers heard Mark Messier's criticisms about their hiring of Mike Babcock and immediately stood up to defend their head coach.
Messier, an Oilers icon whose No. 11 hangs in the rafters at Rogers Place, said Wednesday that he was "horrified" by Edmonton naming Babcock its head coach. He also criticized the team allowing players to interview the controversial bench boss as part of the hiring process. But forward Zach Hyman thinks the former Oilers captain doesn't realize how positively Babcock's leadership has affected the team.
"I think if he really wants to see what's going on firsthand, he's more than welcome to come here," Hyman told reporters Thursday. "I think Oiler fans love him. Like I said, there's a lot of excitement, there's a lot of positivity here - nothing but good is happening right now. So, to try and spew something negative right now, I think it's his opinion. Like I said, I have a lot of respect for him, and if he'd like to see what's going on he's more than welcome to come down."
Babcock hasn't coached a game in the NHL since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in November 2019 amid scrutiny regarding his conduct with players. The 63-year-old was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2023 but resigned two months later after he reportedly invaded players' privacy by demanding to scroll through their phones.
Edmonton hired Babcock after the NHL and NHLPA cleared him following an investigation into his previous conduct.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid and sniper Leon Draisaitl publicly endorsed the move over the summer. McDavid again backed Babcock on Thursday, saying that while Messier is "entitled to his opinion," the head coach and his staff have "been great in getting us ready" for the regular season.
Hyman, who played for Babcock in Toronto, thinks the one-time Stanley Cup-winning coach's impact on the Oilers is already being felt. The newly crowned assistant captain said the team is already "seeing changes on the ice" during the preseason. He also suggested that the constant media scrutiny aimed at Babcock could allow the players to play more freely.
"If Babs is the one who's taking everything, I think he's OK with it," Hyman said. "The players can just go out and play and not worry about anything else. I think he's very capable of handling himself."
