- Mike Babcock addressed Mark Messier’s “horrified” comments about his Oilers hiring
- He called the Hall of Famer a “hard leader” with “nothing but respect” for him
- Read below for the full quotes from Babcock and Zach Hyman
Mike Babcock isn’t picking a fight with Mark Messier.
The Oilers legend spent Wednesday’s ESPN NHL Opening Night media call blasting Edmonton’s decision to hire Babcock as head coach. Messier was asked directly about the move, and he didn’t soften his answer.
“I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you,” 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 also took issue with how the Oilers got to Babcock in the first place, saying the team let its own leadership group help pick the coach. He argued that blurs a line players need between the room and the front office.
Here’s the full clip of his comments:
Babcock got the question Thursday, following the Oilers’ morning skate ahead of their preseason finale against Vancouver. He wasn’t interested in a war of words.
“One of these teams is Team Messier, right?” Babcock said. “When I watched him, hard leader, two-way, competitive. Went to New York, hard, two-way, competitive. Real leader.”
He brought up two personal moments with Messier, an Olympic gold medal ceremony where Messier was kind to Babcock’s young daughter, and a Hockey Hall of Fame event.
“I’ve dealt with him two times in my life,” Babcock said. “He treated us great both times. Mark Messier is a legend here. I have nothing but respect for him.”
Take a look at his full response:
Zach Hyman weighed in the same day, and he skipped the rebuttal for an invitation instead.
“I think if he really wants to see what’s going on firsthand, he’s more than welcome to come here,” Hyman said. “I have a lot of respect for him, and if he’d like to see what’s going on, he’s more than welcome to come down.”
Edmonton closes out its preseason slate against the Canucks on Thursday night, and training camp has otherwise stayed drama-free since Babcock’s July hire.
