Oilers hire Stan Bowman as GM & EVP of Hockey Ops

[FlameChampion]

I am so confused by this hire. I didn’t think Bowman was a “Jackson” guy. Did Katz interfere? Ugly day.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Embarrassing for the Oilers and the league.

It does show you how tone deaf and out of touch the old boys network is though.. hockey culture needs to change so much.

I hope some staff and players nope out of Edmonton just out of principle.

 

[Unbiased Fan]

No, just no.

Wait, so the oilers who lost the cup by a singular goal after a near ridiculous comeback didn't rehire their GM and hired some dude in a sex predator coverup/scandal?

That some dude also won 3 cups

 

[JKG33]

It’s a weird choice to value someone’s perceived hockey-ops experience over their demonstrated moral character.

Oilers continue to demonstrate a willingness to waive their morals in their pursuit of a cup. It’s weird.

Not really. I'd much rather my team chased cups over holier than thou moral victories.

If I were an Oilers fan my issue would he his GM performance history. He has the cups sure, but all he had to do was not f*** up what Tallon originally built

 

[AcerComputer]

Somehow EDM will be fined draft picks for Bowman incompetence in CHI. Everyone will need to check their buttholes.

 

[Extra Texture]

Moral considerations aside (and there are plenty of them) I feel like this is a not great GM who is coming into a team desperate to get over the hump. It might work, but it also might be Chiarelli 2.0

Who will be his first signing, Mitchell Miller? Carter Hart?

Mike Danton for the coaching staff

 

[Gil Gunderson]

He's not a very good GM and comes with a ton of baggage. I don't see the point.

 

[CycloneSweep]

This angle makes even less sense. If Jackson wanted to hire an empty suit why in all hell would he pick Stan freaking Bowman for that?

Only thing I can think of is he wanted someone who knew the ins and outs of the leagues. Had connections to other GMs etc. He didn't want to have someone learn on the job, he just wanted someone who could come in and just work I guess?

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

You were doing so well, Oilers. Now you’re back to mid 2010s joke status

 

[Chileiceman]

I hope players, Edmonton fans, and hockey fans in general give this move the Mitchell Miller/Logan Mailloux/Bill Peters/Mike Babcock treatment and the Oilers are forced to renounce it.

I disagree. I disagree with the hire as I wrote above, but I also think they are free to do it. There is an argument to be made that what happened with Beach was 14 years ago, and Bowman has now done his time and served his punishment.

 

[Kahvi]

You know, as an Oiler fan, I get why fans of other teams hate this franchise so much.

Absolute dogshit decision.

At the same time, hats off to Oilers fans like you (who actually seem to be huge majority in this case), who dont try to defend this just because they want to defend their team, but say what it is.

 

[sabremike]

Hahahahaha

Mcdavid will never win a cup with Edmonton.

McDavid's situation reminds me of one my late father found himself in: he enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War knowing he would likely get drafted so figured this would get him better terms. He was assigned to some base in the south and he absolutely hated it and asked to be transfered elsewhere. He was informed the only place he could go was Vietnam to which he replied "Good, I'll take it!".

 

[thegazelle]

Performance/lack of performance aside, much of an organization's regard with fans is, rightly or wrongly, in the optics. Even if you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Sure, the Oilers have seemed to like reclamation projects like Kane, Kassian, Perry, etc., but I think Bowman is the wrong hire here, purely from an optics perspective. Yes, some people will argue that one should divorce themselves from the person's personal morals and ethics and their on the job performance. I would argue that they are inextricably tied together and whether it was a lapse in judgment or willful complicity, I am not sure the Oilers need that added scrutiny in rolling the dice here.

 

[LaCarriere]

Absolutely. Us common folk would run the risk of serious criminal charges that would follow us for the rest of our lives, affecting where we can live, work, go to school, etc., if we helped to cover up serious crimes. f*** Stan Bowman and f*** his lost wages. He should never work in hockey again.

Kids are drafted at 18 years old. Legal minors. Not old enough to buy a beer in North America except in Quebec, and this guy manages them, after a sex abuse coverup. It's insane.

 

[Coffey]

Average Edmontonian. Enjoy your 4 hour drive to the 4th best mountain town in Alberta.

Banff?

 

[White Out 902]

the oilers are a repugnant organization

i mean that truly. disgusting.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Difference is, one fan base supported and is actively supporting (eg. you) the move. Oilers fans hate this move.

Enjoy living in Quebec lmao

I don't, I live in the only real city in the province lmao

 

[Coffey]

At the same time, hats off to Oilers fans like you (who actually seem to be huge majority in this case), who dont try to defend this just because they want to defend their team, but say what it is.

I think you'd be hardpressed to find any Oiler fan celebrating this, Kahvi.

 

[Malkinstheman]

From one washed GM to another. Feels like the organization hates McDavid sometimes lol

 

[JPT]

I disagree. I disagree with the hire as I wrote above, but I also think they are free to do it. There is an argument to be made that what happened with Beach was 14 years ago, and Bowman has now done his time and served his punishment.

There's also the argument to be made that he wasn't really punished at all in any practical sense.

 

[TheShape]

This angle makes even less sense. If Jackson wanted to hire an empty suit why in all hell would he pick Stan freaking Bowman for that?

None of it makes sense, the overall risk outweighs the reward imo. But Bowman has cups to his name and he's an experienced GM. He'll do whatever the heck JJ wants if he plans on having any career.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

If you’re Leon and Connor…how do you defend this lol

“We’re just focusing on the game and winning a cup”

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

Oiler's are a joke.

 

[The Management]

Seems like a real weird move to me. The vibes around the Oilers should be quite positive after the impressive run they just went on. Why invite any unnecessary hullabaloo around the team? This guy isn't even heralded as some kind of ace by Blackhawks fans, to my understanding. Tallon assembled most of the key talent on that roster, did he not?

If I'm the Oilers, I'd just rather not step in this cow pie entirely. They've already shown they can get to the precipice.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Banff?

Nah Banff is the worst