Edmonton Oilers coach Babcock responds to Messier's comments
Mark Messier’s dismay at the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to hire Mike Babcock has blown up over the last 24 hours.
The Oilers icon took aim at his former organization during a media call on Wednesday, referring to the hiring of Babcock as “horrifying.” His displeasure, as he put it, comes as a result of former stories he’s heard from “reputable, character people” about the way the polarizing head coach has treated players in prior coaching stints.
Messier is far from the only individual to condemn the Oilers for the hiring. That said, his comments were particularly noteworthy given his incredible tenure with the franchise.
Babcock, along with the rest of the hockey world, caught wind of Messier’s comments.
Following Thursday’s skate ahead of their third preseason bout versus the Vancouver Canucks, the 63-year-old opted not to get into a war of words, but instead spoke about the amount of respect he has for the Oilers legend.
“One of these teams [in training camp] is Team Messier, right? He won [five] Cups here,” Babcock said. “When I watched him, hard, leader, two-way, competitive. He went to New York, hard, two-way, competitive. Real leader.”
Though Messier never played under Babcock, the two have met each other on more than one occasion.
“I’ve dealt with him two times in my life,” explained Babcock. “One time we were presented with Olympic gold medals here. I think my daughter was seven or eight then. He treated us great.
“Another was at [a] Hall of Fame thing. He treated me great. Messier is a legend here. He does great on [ESPN]. I have nothing but respect for him.”
While Messier’s comments have added another layer of scrutiny to Babcock’s arrival in Edmonton, the Oilers head coach made it clear Thursday that he has no intention of turning the situation into a public feud.
For Babcock, regardless of whatever criticisms Messier may have of his coaching career, his respect for one of the most important players in Oilers history remains unchanged.
And for now, that appears to be where he intends to leave it.