Mark Messier’s retired No. 11 jersey hangs from the Rogers Place rafters. So when the six-time Stanley Cup winner shares his opinion on Edmonton Oilers business, it causes a stir.
During a media call on Wednesday to preview ESPN’s coverage of the NHL’s Opening Night on Sept. 29, Messier declared he was “horrified” that the Oilers hired Mike Babcock to be their head coach.
Babcock, 63, will coach his first NHL regular-season game since Nov. 19, 2019, when the Oilers host the Vancouver Canucks next Tuesday. Babcock was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, but resigned without coaching a game after being accused of violating players’ privacy. He reportedly asked them to share the contents of their smartphones.
“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.”
Messier, who serves as a studio analyst for ESPN’s and ABC’s NHL coverage, also disagreed with the Oilers’ decision to allow players to be a part of Babcock’s hiring process.
“I agree with (ESPN analyst) Ray (Ferraro) the way that he was onboarded through the players interviewing him is absolutely something that I’ve never heard 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.”
Messier expressed his belief, essentially, that players should play and coaches and administrators should manage the team.
“There’s no separation there,” said Messier, referring to the Oilers. “I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you. I could go on and on and on, but I think you get my point.”
Messier played the first 12 of his 25 NHL seasons in Edmonton. He won five of his six Stanley Cups with the Oilers and amassed 839 points (313 goals, 526 assists) in 851 regular-season games.
He finished his Hall of Fame career with 1,732 points (628 goals, 1,104 assists) in 1,756 games for the Oilers (1979-91), New York Rangers (1991-97, 2000-04) and Vancouver Canucks (1997-2000).