Confirmed with Link: Oilers hire Stan Bowman as GM & Executive VP- press conference at 10:30

[WaitingForUser]

What a convoluted system of logic. Bowman didn't assault anybody, He didn't murder anybody. he wasn't convicted of anything.

But he knew about and did nothing. Yes his boss told him to stay quiet during the cup run. Why did he not say something after that? Why did it take until Kyle went public for any of the three to say anything? It was close to ten years later before anything was done about this. If my boss told me to keep quiet about an SA I would have told my boss to pound sand and called someone who could put an end to it. He could have spoke up he didn’t and that’s why this IMO is just as bad.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

What a convoluted system of logic. Bowman didn't assault anybody, He didn't murder anybody. he wasn't convicted of anything.

Good point.....he was definitely a helpless victim while he was managing the franchise where this occurred.

 

[Zerotonine]

Agreed, and for that, he should pay the price. But how long do you think that payment should last, and do you not believe in any kind of redemption and growth?

I have no issues with second chance. My problem with this decision is what lesson is learnt or even taught when he gets right back on the thrown basically the first day he is reinstated??? You would think he would of needed to work his way back into good books and back up the totem pole instead of just being welcomed right back with arms wide open ....

 

[LevelingSolo]

Bowman had some good draft picks considering where the Hawks were always drafting

DeBrincat, Daneult, TT, Hartman Saad etc

 

[iCanada]

Your point isn't accurate. When the Oilers rehired MacT there was STILL rancor and all the same comments of "I'll never watch again" disgusting etc. Maybe you're not familiar that the vitriol remained and was worse even when MacT was coach or Manager here than when he was a player.

Next, the Kyle Beach incident was 2010, a full 14 yrs ago. So I don't know where you're getting 3yrs from. Thats when court proceedings occurred, not when events occurred.

Finally MacT was convicted, charged, sentenced with vehicular manslaughter a serious and frankly heinous crime.

Bowman at worst is guilty of dereliction of ideal duty. Not of a crime.

This ISN'T the Oilers hiring Aldritch, who committed the crime. I would have a much different response if it was.

I've said it a number of times, but even describing it as dereliction of duty or negligence feels kind of harsh to me.

I don't think Bowman had any legal duty to do anything more than he did - which is too ensure he was not fostering a hostile work environment and reporting Aldrich's crimes to his boss and HR.

Certainly he isn't a mandated reporter by law and faces no potential legal repercussions. There's maybe an argument he could have done more, but to me it feels like admonishing everyone that witnessed someone drown for not jumping in to save them more than him actively doing something wrong.

I'm not sure I really like the move or the hiring, but like ... Idk man. The backlash feels a touch high to me.

 

[Drivesaitl]

But he knew about and did nothing. Yes his boss told him to stay quiet during the cup run. Why did he not say something after that? Why did it take until Kyle went public for any of the three to say anything? It was close to ten years later before anything was done about this. If my boss told me to keep quiet about an SA I would have told my boss to pound sand and called someone who could put an end to it. He could have spoke up he didn’t and that’s why this IMO is just as bad.I

Most firms and corporations now are just as bad. Several HR departments I'm familiar with have legal retainers consulted regularly on what to do and say on such matters and unfortunately the most common legal advise is don't fire with out the firmest grounds and NEVER make the information available extraneously. For instance an abuser can now ask for a recommendation. Even somebody fired for abuse. The company still HAS to provide a form letter of some sort of say the person worked there from X time to Xtime. Or refuse entirely, or as some firms have done just stop giving references alltogether for ANYONE.

The biggest tragedy perhaps in present day is that those committing crimes are afforded more protection than those that would out them that are then exposed to lawsuits.

Most businesses today are failing the ethical grounds you allude to. Whistle blowing has never had more cost to it.

You'd probably be fired. At which point you wouldn't have any say.

 

[Tarus]

Not sure if i missed it, but does anyone know the terms and or details of the signing??? Years and money????

Fk i hate this signing. Just when we think we r moving forward we get pulled back 3 steps

Kind of hope they don't release those details. People whining about Holland's paycheck every time he did something they didn't like got old

I do hope Katz only let them give Bowman a 4 year deal though, that seems to be about the absolute limit before Katz loses patience wants a new guy in charge. Can save himself a bit of money by not tacking that last year on.

 

[McBooya42]

But he knew about and did nothing. Yes his boss told him to stay quiet during the cup run. Why did he not say something after that? Why did it take until Kyle went public for any of the three to say anything? It was close to ten years later before anything was done about this. If my boss told me to keep quiet about an SA I would have told my boss to pound sand and called someone who could put an end to it. He could have spoke up he didn’t and that’s why this IMO is just as bad.

Because his boss said he'd take care of it. This is also why he has worked hard to educate himself, and get involved in making changes to make sure this doesn't happen again. I now know he's put in the time and effort for atonement and positive change, which is good. There is no doubt he should have, and could have done more when he first found out. He has tried hard to learn from it. I will judge him now on how he does in the role.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I've said it a number of times, but even describing it as dereliction of duty or negligence feels kind of harsh to me.

I don't think Bowman had any legal duty to do anything more than he did - which is too ensure he was not fostering a hostile work environment and reporting Aldrich's crimes to his boss and HR.

Certainly he isn't a mandated reporter by law and faces no potential legal repercussions. There's maybe an argument he could have done more, but to me it feels like admonishing everyone that witnessed someone drown for not jumping in to save them more than him actively doing something wrong.

I'm not sure I really like the move or the hiring, but like ... Idk man. The backlash feels a touch high to me.

I couldn't find the right words and chose that as what I thought was closest fitting. Agreed, even that is harsh. he simply looked the other way. Bowman actually ultimately did as much or more than most firms and HR would today. They would, in the words of some here "let the abuser walk on to offend against others" which if we're being clear here our legal system does in spades as well.

 

[Stoneman89]

Kevin Chevaldayof was an assistant GM with the Hawks at the time. I wonder why was he not suspended/barred from the league?

 

[LevelingSolo]

of course, its all good.
We forgive everyone
Best locker room in the league by far!

Certainly one of them based on last year's playoff run

 

[Drivesaitl]

Good point.....he was definitely a helpless victim while he was managing the franchise where this occurred.

Just saying you don't have a response would be more succinct.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Should have hired Dr Phil instead.

 

[LevelingSolo]

What was the rapists name again? Completely forgot since all outrage and hate are directed at known hockey names instead of the absolute disgusting monster of a rapist.

Honestly yeah that's what's been interesting, you never see Aldrich's name come up anymore ever at all

People seem more angry with SB and JQ then that monster of a human, the 2020's are weird

 

[Sra1974]

Why? Why? Why? Why?

Aside from all the negative feelings I have I just can’t shake this question. Why be this arrogant? Why put your players, paying customers, advertisers etc in this predicament when it was entirely and completely avoidable. There are tons of equivalent options, lots of better ones and none that carries this stench. I am pissed.

I don’t think he should never work again but this barely looks like he had to even work for it to get back to one of the best positions in the league. The players shouldn’t have to deal with this crap either, and they will have to answer questions about it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

This has 2006 vibes to me. After getting to game 7 we all know what happened. Here we are, such a positive feeling, great FA and then light a match throw it at the gasoline and watch it burn. Positive feelings gone.

In here we need to look after each other, there are likely victims among us, or those who have family or friends who’ve been victimized. If they say they are quitting I respect it, if they come back in a month or three months, or a year that’s fine with me. Make no mistake though, the team just took every single one of us for granted today.

Any media carrying water for the team on this issue, and there’s a few of them can go to hell though.

 

[Jumptheshark]

imagine if HF was around when the Oilers signed MacT back in the day...

Well I was around when that signing happened and not everyone was happy and they lit up John Shorts radioshow when it was announced

Mact was taken to task heavily in the states media

DEATH IN AUTO ACCIDENT TESTS FANS OF THE BRUINS (Published 1984)

www.nytimes.com

BUT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE

Mact plead guilty(to Vehicle manslaughter) , did his time, showed contrition and made amends with the family of the girl he killed. Mact was reminded a daily basis of what he did. The papers (non beat reporters) went after him. He has a relationship with the girls family to this day.

I believe in rehabilitation and not retribution.

If you google Kim Radley and Craig Mactavish you will see there have been thousands of articles written by beat writers from every nhl city and covered again and again by non sports writers in every major market

The difference between Mact and what happened with the Hawks was that there was a cover up and it went on for years

MacTavish would later call the event a “fatal mistake” in the words of the LA Times. The parents of Radley, Hazel and Ronald Foote, would meet with MacTavish frequently while he was in jail, according to Barry Meisel in the Chicago Tribune.

“We felt this was something we had to do, something we wanted to do to see if it would help us accept what had happened. We had a question in our mind, and we had to draw a conclusion. We both felt if we could talk with him, see how he felt, that it might help us with some of our problems,” Ronald Foote…

 

[elmeroil]

I've put away all of my Oilers stuff while I process this. Mcdavid and Drai had to have approved this too. No idea what to think at this point, I'll never be ok with this and if I could get a refund on every Oilers item I own I would.

I understand 2nd chances etc but his 2nd chance less than 3 years later does not merrit becoming the GM of the Oilers. They'll likely win the cup next season too and I don't even know if it'll mean anything to me.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

There's zero chance McDavid and Draisaitl didn't sign off on this. Jeff Jackson would be braindead to not prioritize that relationship, and given how close he is with Connor, no chance this wasn't considered.

I've also noticed that many oiler fans online project their own morals or ethics on to McDavid, and assume that he would care as much about social issues as they do, as if he is not just another hockey guy. I think many would be disappointed.

Nice try.

"Of course I talked to Daryl Katz extensively about it and some of the other people in management. I did not talk to the players." -Jeff Jackson on looping in McDavid and Draisaitl on the decision

 

[TheNumber4]

Kevin Chevaldayof was an assistant GM with the Hawks at the time. I wonder why was he not suspended/barred from the league?

Good question. He was in the same meeting that Bowman and Quennville were in when informed about the Beach incident. His culpability should be the same as those guys. In that he heard the news, and did not act, relying on the POHO to act in their place as he said he would.

 

[WaitingForUser]

Most firms and corporations now are just as bad. Several HR departments I'm familiar with have legal retainers consulted regularly on what to do and say on such matters and unfortunately the most common legal advise is don't fire with out the firmest grounds and NEVER make the information available extraneously. For instance an abuser can now ask for a recommendation. Even somebody fired for abuse. The company still HAS to provide a form letter of some sort of say the person worked there from X time to Xtime. Or refuse entirely, or as some firms have done just stop giving references alltogether for ANYONE.

The biggest tragedy perhaps in present day is that those committing crimes are afforded more protection than those that would out them that are then exposed to lawsuits.

Most businesses today are failing the ethical grounds you allude to. Whistle blowing has never had more cost to it.

You'd probably be fired. At which point you wouldn't have any say.

Yes I probably would be fired but it would be worth it and whether they wanted to persue legal action against me personally wouldn’t factor in. I would not stay silent nobody should ever stay silent.

 

[Stoneman89]

I have no issues with second chance. My problem with this decision is what lesson is learnt or even taught when he gets right back on the thrown basically the first day he is reinstated??? You would think he would of needed to work his way back into good books and back up the totem pole instead of just being welcomed right back with arms wide open ....

I've heard, "needed towork his way back." What exactly does this entail? Start at a car wash? Towel boy? ticket taker? I doubt he'd be good at any of those, and there would still be a pile of scrutiny on him. GM is his occupation. He either gets hired in that capacity, or he doesn't. Weren't the last 2 years plus working his way back into the "good books" with councelling, therapy, meeting with the victim, and also with Kennedy, etc. ? How long do you think, is long enough? 3 years? 5 years? 15 years? I'm not sure what the book on this says you do. I think every case is different and people ultimately get judged on their individual merits, remorse and growth. The Oilers needed a GM, and they hired one, one that they thought would be the best fit for their team. Every other team has that position filled at the moment. I'm not a betting man, but if the Oilers didn't pull the trigger on this, I wouldn't bet against that another organization would take a chance on hiring him when the opportunity arose? (Probably next off season, right after the annual firings and housecleanings begin)

 

[CupofOil]

Listening to the Bowman interview on Oilers Now and I can see why JJ likes the guy in terms of his hockey knowledge, he does come across as well spoken and intelligent. Maybe it's just because I was used to Chiarelli and Holland stumbling through words constantly but a good first impression, from a hockey standpoint just to reiterate.

 

[StreetHawk]

Or refuse entirely, or as some firms have done just stop giving references all together for ANYONE.

For a company, they have to do everything as a blanket. Can't pick and choose.

But, it's hypocritical as they probably come back to a new hire with, oh we only could get a hold of 1 of your 3 References, could you provide another 2? But, yet, hypocritically won't provide you with a reference after you leave. What happened to you get what you give? How can you expect to get a reference when you don't give one out?

If you make the hire, you own it and take everything that comes with it. That's what the owner and President have to do.

 

[joestevens29]

Well I was around when that signing happened and not everyone was happy and they lit up John Shorts radioshow when it was announced

Mact was taken to task heavily in the states media

DEATH IN AUTO ACCIDENT TESTS FANS OF THE BRUINS (Published 1984)

www.nytimes.com

BUT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE

Mact plead guilty(to Vehicle manslaughter) , did his time, showed contrition and made amends with the family of the girl he killed. Mact was reminded a daily basis of what he did. The papers (non beat reporters) went after him. He has a relationship with the girls family to this day.

I believe in rehabilitation and not retribution.

If you google Kim Radley and Craig Mactavish you will see there have been thousands of articles written by beat writers from every nhl city and covered again and again by non sports writers in every major market

The difference between Mact and what happened with the Hawks was that there was a cover up and it went on for years

I mean bowman made amends and didn’t do anything illegal

 

[Drivesaitl]

Nice try.

JJ tends to say that though. That he didn't consult players. Because as others have mentioned perhaps he doesn't want the view that the star players here are involved in decisions. None of us know.

Respect the words and you citing the actual words. But sometimes its wordplay and can be.