Oilers hire Stan Bowman as GM & EVP of Hockey Ops

[PaulD]

Jeez so much hatred in this thread lol

Anyways focusing on hockey, I'm curious if Bowman will make any big trades before the season starts. He's got loads of pressure with Drai + Mcdavid nearing UFA

Yea, the haters are out.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

I think I am done being a fan of the Oilers to be honest. I’m in Saskatchewan so it’s not like I’m in Alberta

Is it because the Oilers hired Stan Bowman, or it is something else?

The Oilers chances of winning a cup this upcoming season are very good.

Don’t tell me you’re gonna be a cattle herding Flames fan or a low lagging Jets fan.

 

[PaulD]

I honestly don't want any success for this guy. No way he should be around an NHL team at this point. Pretty tasteless hire.

Leave Cliff Fletcher and Maple Leaf Gardens out this.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Why exactly do you feel the need to say this stuff? Why did you feel the need to bring up how Edmonton could bring in Beach to really get the engagement up? Frankly, that's a really f***ed up thought to have.

Because it’s relevant to the discussion and a factor in Bowman’s reinstatement.

If he’s interested, the Oilers finding a place for Beach would be a nice gesture and a good story. The team has a great opportunity here to turn a negative into a positive by working with groups like Sheldon Kennedy’s organization to raise awareness and educate. I’m sure the team has some ideas and initiatives in the hopper, they clearly knew there was going to be some intial backlash but once the emotion and anger dies down there’s going to be an opportunity to do some good.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

I honestly don't want any success for this guy. No way he should be around an NHL team at this point. Pretty tasteless hire.

All they’re looking at is hockey right now in Edmonton, their focus is winning a cup and rightfully so.

Bowman paid a penalty for which the NHL deems sufficient, move forward.

 

[JPT]

All they’re looking at is hockey right now in Edmonton, their focus is winning a cup and rightfully so.

Bowman paid a penalty for which the NHL deems sufficient, move forward.

You don't move forward if you disagree that the NHL's sufficient punishment was actually sufficient.

 

[geebster]

All they’re looking at is hockey right now in Edmonton, their focus is winning a cup and rightfully so.

Bowman paid a penalty for which the NHL deems sufficient, move forward.

I mean just because the NHL deemed it sufficient doesn't mean people arent allowed to believe that letting sexual abuse on your watch and doing nothing to rectify it is wrong and a couple years away isn't the remedy. He shouldn't have been allowed back, period.

Some people take sexual abuse more seriously than others, so reactions will vary as seen in this thread.

 

[HabzSauce]

This league is such trash. Every other professional league shuts this kinda stuff down immediately and the consequences are always lifetime bans. Look at the NBA, look at the NFL. The NHL is such a joke of a league, once Garry Buttman f***s off and retires/dies maybe they’ll be some semblance of integrity.
So sick of this organization making blatantly terrible decisions

NBA is soft as butter. I pray the NHL never sinks to their level

 

[Maurice of Orange]

You don't move forward if you disagree that the NHL's sufficient punishment was actually sufficient.

Bowman didn’t rape anyone my guy.

Could he have done more yes, but he didn’t, he made a mistake a human mistake, for which the NHL punished him for.

Bowman has served his punishment, let’s move forward Beach has forgiven Bowman can’t you and others do the same.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

All they’re looking at is hockey right now in Edmonton, their focus is winning a cup and rightfully so.

Bowman paid a penalty for which the NHL deems sufficient, move forward.

Nah, f*** that guy.

 

[kcunac]

But is bowman even a good GM? Seems like Jackson was doing pretty fine.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Bowman didn’t rape anyone my guy.

Could he have done more yes, but he didn’t, he made a mistake a human mistake, for watch the NHL punished him for.

Bowman has served his punishment, let’s move forward Beach has forgiven Bowman can’t you and others do the same.

I think you're not grasping the issue. It's not on any one of us to "forgive" this guy. He's a clown who lucked into some Cups because his father is a legit hockey genius and legend. Even if the situation where he failed to get rid of a known sexual predator hadn't happened, it would be a dubious hire. The fact that the Oilers, of all teams, hired this middle-minded person, who was suspended by the league for abundantly good reason, is just indefensible. Literally dozens of people could do the job of taking the Oilers' summer signings and the team core and winning a Cup. This is plainly wrong and speaks to the deep abiding sickness at the heart of hockey.

My advice to everyone: read the novel Beartown, think about the numerous rape cases going on, think about the victims. Realize that people like Daryl Katz -- himself an accused predator -- make decisions that never ever take that sickness into account, that show no level of learning, no accountability, no respect for human decency. Why should anyone sit back and just say hey it's sports? f*** that. This is appalling. I'm not judging him, he's just a symptom. And the Oilers -- of all teams --- should have known better.

 

[TheNumber4]

And Bowman never admitted that a sexual assault was reported to him. I don't care about 100 on a message board not agreeing with me. I am just going by the facts. Beach should come out and quash Bowman's lie if it's truly a lie.

Oilers wouldn't have hired him guaranteed.


Beach as president of hockey ops should do the trick.

Beach actually came out and said the report is accurate.

 

[Double Dion]

Edmonton further cementing their reputation as the dumpster divers of the NHL. How people can support this organization in 2024 is beyond me.

 

[Enniskillen]

Here we go, same people defending Bowman using exactly the same arguments from Kyle Beach thread a few years back. Now they are generously sprinkled with some Oilers fans cause the context has changed lmao. “He is our sob now” vibes all over the place. Credit to the majority of Oilers fans for expressing their frustration with this hiring.

 

[ddawg1950]

Well, if we weren't hated before, we certainly are now

Well, it could be worse. Like if he fires Knobby and brings Quenneville.

 

[Minnesota Knudsens]

Here we go, same people defending Bowman using exactly the same arguments from Kyle Beach thread a few years back. Now they are generously sprinkled with some Oilers fans cause the context has changed lmao. “He is our sob now” vibes all over the place. Credit to the majority of Oilers fans for expressing their frustration with this hiring.

Imagine wanting a sports team to win so badly that you’d abandon the concept of morality. And the bizarre part is that they probably don’t even need Bowman to win it all this year.

 

[BlueSeal]

Is it because the Oilers hired Stan Bowman, or it is something else?

The Oilers chances of winning a cup this upcoming season are very good.

Don’t tell me you’re gonna be a cattle herding Flames fan or a low lagging Jets fan.

Nah, just a fan with dignity and self-respect.

 

[Double Dion]

Imagine wanting a sports team to win so badly that you’d abandon the concept of morality. And the bizarre part is that they probably don’t even need Bowman to win it all this year.

This is nothing new for them. Don't forget they've employed Nicholson for years. Brought in Kane, Perry, Virtanen, rumors of stuff with Katz (I don't believe those ones) ect.

 

[Jumptheshark]

for those of you who think on the oiler board we are happy about this guy joining the organization? 75% of us very unhappy

 

[TheNumber4]

I really don't believe the league should have to have a ban on these guys. I think the teams should refuse to hire these people without the league telling them they can't hire them.

When you make a hire like this you're putting it on blast to everyone that you're an asshole. And you don't care.

And when the League allows them to be in the League, their the assholes too. And if fans watch and spend money on this league that allows that, wouldn't they be assholes as well?

 

[Mr Positive]

I won't comment on Stan Bowman's qualities as a GM.

But, one thing this hire makes EXTREMELY clear is that the Oilers are all about winning at (almost?) any cost.

It's gotta make people like Perry, Kane, etc. feel pretty good. Help the team win and no one will care about anything else. I hear Reid Boucher is lighting up the KHL. Maybe there's a spot for him in the future.

Except just because someone has a bad reputation, that doesn't mean they are good at their job. Even if Bowman were squeaky clean I'm not sure I'd want him as GM. A lot of what made his Blackhawks team great was set up before he got there. He made some bad moves. It's not like a team with an aging core is doomed to that. Look at Tampa

 

[La Bamba]

for those of you who think on the oiler board we are happy about this guy joining the organization? 75% of us very unhappy

it's the other 25% lol

This organization deserves bad things.

It would've been soooo much better to hire a fresh GM to bring in new ideas and build their own legacy than hire a smooth talking, has-been, entitled and spoon-fed his entire life bum

i could maybe get it if he was a good GM back in Chicago but on top of being a shit person, he was almost as shit of a GM

 

[Bleedred]

Meh, I have no issue banning them. I've seen a lot of "what so he should just never be allowed to make a living again?? How long should he be cancelled for??"

The guy didn't go to prison, he spent 3 years hanging out in a mansion living on the millions of dollars he made as a professional GM. He'd have no issue slotting into any number of leadership positions in other industries, but he does not have a "right" to continued employment with the NHL in an capacity. He's free man, go somewhere else.

And when the League allows them to be in the League, they’re the assholes too. And if fans watch and spend money on this league that allows that, wouldn't they be assholes as well?

I wouldn’t be against banning them from the league. My point was that I wish that teams would ban them themselves by not hiring them. And that since they aren’t still banned by the league, they can’t resist their urges to hire them.

 

[JPT]

Bowman didn’t rape anyone my guy.

Could he have done more yes, but he didn’t, he made a mistake a human mistake, for which the NHL punished him for.

Bowman has served his punishment, let’s move forward Beach has forgiven Bowman can’t you and others do the same.

With takes like this, I can honestly say I'm not your guy. I'm glad Beach is in a place to be forgiving. That doesn't change the fact that, had the key players in this taken it more seriously and been less selfish, they could have likely prevent it from happening again. They decided to think of the team over a human being, though, and it did happen again.

It's not my place to forgive anyone involved. It is my place to, as a fan, be extremely unhappy about how the NHL handled their punishments. They didn't do enough to stop a predator. They should be banned from the league permanently.