Controversial hockey figure set to join the Edmonton Oilers and fans hate it

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Graham Montgomery
July 20, 2024 (9:46 PM)

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According to new rumors that have emerged today, the Edmonton Oilers are poised to hire former Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman.

Bowman became disgraced and banned from the National Hockey league several years ago when it came out that the Chicago Blackhawks, under his tenure as general manager, covered up the crimes committed to then black ace player Kyle Beach. Since then, the Blackhawks have become one of the most frowned upon franchises in the league, especially as the NHL reacted by hardly punishing the team at all, which drew ire from many fans. Unfortunately, the league seems to have forgotten this reaction as Bowman was officially reinstated by Gary Bettman earlier this summer. Now it seems that the Oilers will be adding him to their front office.

All signs seem to be pointing to Stan Bowman joining the Edmonton Oilers in some capacity as the team continues their GM search.

Hearing he could join as a senior advisor to the GM, but Jeff Jackson seemed adamant that he had not spoken to Bowman at all during the hiring process.

Via @TheMugNHL

#LetsGoOilers

This is more or less universally viewed as a bad move by fans online. Not only does Bowman not deserve to work in the NHL anymore, but he was also not good during his tenure with the Blackhawks. He inherited a dynasty level team and quickly drove it to the ground, where the team has been since, among the worst teams in the NHL.

can i ask why stan bowman is worth the trouble? my impression of his track record is that he basically inherited the pieces that made the blackhawks a mini-dynasty and then accidentally lit it on fire after 2015

The on-ice product is just a small part of this equation though. At the end of the day, fans will be concerned that something like this could happen again under Bowman's watch. Even Wayne Gretzky himself expressed concern about this possibility during one of his appearances on TNT.

In case the Oilers think the fear of hiring Stan Bowman as GM has blown over, here is Wayne Gretzky saying "I'm sitting here thinking, as a parent 'My son is 18 years old and he's going to maybe be drafted by that team...I want to know my 18-yr-old son is going to be protected."

If the Oilers bring in Bowman, that could be another team ruined by his reputation. Be sure to keep an eye on them, as they could announce his hiring any day now.