Mark Messier is not too impressed with the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach, saying the organization’s handling of the process was “something that I’ve never heard of before.”

The team’s former captain from 1988-91 specifically took issue with Oilers players conducting interviews with Babcock.

“I am absolutely shocked they hired him,” he said during the ESPN NHL Opening Night media call, transcribed by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “I’m absolutely shocked from the stories that I heard from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated. It’s been no secret.

“I agree with Ray the way that he was onboarded through the players interviewing him is absolutely something that I’ve never heard of before. Maybe the game has changed, and that’s the way it’s going. Great. I don’t know. It certainly wasn’t like that.”

Babcock officially joined the Oilers on June 23, after a months-long search that was significantly stalled by the team’s desire to hire former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy. Earlier that month, reports surfaced that Oilers owner Daryl Katz, his son Harrison, and key members of the player leadership group, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman met with Babc

The players being involved, Messier said, creates a messy dynamic.

“I think there has to be a separation of powers on the structural level of any team,” he said. “I think from the management to the coaching to the players, there has to be a divide. The leadership of your team have to protect the players inside the dressing room. How can you do that when you’re directly involved with the decisions they’re making at the management level and hiring of the management and coaches? I don’t understand it.

“Maybe the game has changed to the point where that’s the way things are going now, where players have that much say. I just don’t know, if it does go bad and players are having difficulties, who do they turn to?

“Because if they turn to the leadership, the leadership is management. There’s no separation there. I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you.”

Babcock had been out of the NHL since 2023 before joining the Oilers, having been at the centre of controversy after going through players’ phones and looking at photos with them. He would step away from his role, and as such, an NHL investigation wasn’t able to be conducted at the time, instead being pushed to when the Oilers looked to hire him.

While the NHL cleared Babcock, its investigation found that “light least favorable (sic) to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.” When hired by the Oilers, he was unapologetic for what occurred. It wasn’t the first time Babcock was under fire for his conduct, bringing with him a long track record of mistreating players at many stops in his coaching career.

Messier’s comments come with some irony. When with the Vancouver Canucks in the late 1990s, Messier pushed to have Mike Keenan hired as the new head coach, even playing a part in player personnel decisions. The Canucks sacrificed depth to bring Messier in on a three-year, $18-million deal, forcing the team to trade franchise legends Kirk McLean, Trevor Linden, Gino Odjick, and Pavel Bure.

Maybe that’s why he’s still public enemy number one in Vancouver.

Zach Laing is Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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