Bowman had offers from other teams before joining Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers weren’t the only team interested in hiring Stan Bowman following his recent reinstatement by the NHL.

Bowman had been suspended indefinitely by the league following an investigation which concluded he, along with others in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, failed to take appropriate action after learning that Kyle Beach claimed he was sexually assaulted by video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010.

The Oilers, in search of a general manager (GM) following Ken Holland’s departure, hired Bowman to take over that role this morning. Many are furious with the organization’s decision, and rightfully so. Based on comments from Bowman at today’s introductory press conference, however, he received offers from other teams around the league.

“Yes, there were,” Bowman said when asked if there were other offers on the table. “But when I was contacted by Jeff [Jackson], that immediately got my attention. Like I said, I watched this team, and I have a relationship with Jeff going back to when he was an agent.”

Given the severity of the situation in which Bowman was involved, many Oilers fans are upset about the hiring. The 51-year-old made it clear he understands those who are frustrated, and tried to shed light on what he has learned since resigning as GM of the Blackhawks in 2021.

“I think the biggest thing I learned is the negative power of silence and not taking a bigger role,” Bowman said. “When I look back on it, that’s what I reflect on. You don’t want to assume other people are doing things. You want to take an active role and make sure things happen that are supposed to happen. It’s a learning experience, and that’s what I’m going to take away from that.”

Bowman also noted that he has been in contact with Beach on several occasions since the scandal came to light, while Jackson said Beach gave a positive approval in today’s hiring. Beach himself has not commented publicly on the matter.

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