Mike Babcock has responded to Mark Messier’s condemnation of his appointment as Edmonton Oilers head coach, while forward Zach Hyman has defended the atmosphere around the club before the NHL season begins.
Messier, an Oilers great and ESPN analyst, said he was horrified and shocked by Edmonton’s decision to appoint Babcock. His objections extended to the process described around the hiring, with Messier questioning the involvement of the team’s leadership group in interviewing the coach.
The Hall of Famer argued that management, coaches and players should retain distinct roles within a club. He suggested that players’ ability to protect team-mates could be compromised if leading players had been directly involved in choosing a coach.
Hyman offers invitation as Oilers back coach
Hyman said Messier was revered in Edmonton and widely respected throughout hockey, but maintained that the current mood around the Oilers was positive. He invited Messier to visit and assess the environment around Babcock’s team first hand.
The forward characterised Messier’s remarks as his own view and said there was excitement around the club. ESPN reported that Hyman is among the veteran Oilers who helped vet Babcock before the appointment, alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
That player involvement is central to the disagreement. It is also an important part of Edmonton’s sporting calculation: the Oilers have not simply hired an experienced coach, but have done so after consulting veteran leaders Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman.
The Hockey News reported that McDavid had said players wanted the standard at training to be extremely high, while Draisaitl had described Babcock’s early approach as intense and said he was eager to learn from him. Those comments represent early player support rather than a resolution of the concerns raised about the appointment.
Babcock stresses respect for Oilers legend
Babcock replied respectfully when asked about Messier’s comments. He said their previous encounters had been positive and pointed to Messier’s standing in Edmonton, where a training-camp team bears his name. Babcock said he had respect for the former Oiler and his work as a broadcaster.
Messier’s comments brought Babcock’s recent NHL history into the discussion. ESPN reported that several former players have accused him of mental abuse during his coaching career. Former Detroit player Johan Franzen said Babcock’s verbal treatment had contributed to an emotional breakdown, while Toronto president Brendan Shanahan said, when Babcock was dismissed in 2019, that aspects of his coaching methods had not been appropriate or acceptable.
ESPN also reported that Babcock asked then-Toronto forward Mitch Marner to discuss team-mates in confidence before relaying those comments to players. In 2023, Babcock resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets without coaching a game after criticism of requests to view players’ personal phone photographs.
Those accounts and accusations explain why Messier’s reaction has gained attention, but they should be distinguished from the NHL’s stated current position. The league investigated Babcock’s resignation from Columbus and said in June that its inquiry had found no current basis to limit his employment, clearing the way for Edmonton to hire him.
Edmonton turned to Babcock after dismissing Kris Knoblauch in the spring. Knoblauch had taken the Oilers to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals before the team suffered a first-round playoff exit last season, according to ESPN. The change therefore comes with a clear competitive backdrop: a team viewed by ESPN as among the leading Western Conference contenders has replaced a coach despite recent deep postseason runs.
Babcock now begins the season with public backing from prominent players but criticism from one of the franchise’s most significant figures. Messier’s comments focused on Edmonton’s player-involved hiring process and Babcock’s past conduct.