Oilers President goes into damage control after Stan Bowman hiring

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
July 24, 2024 (9:08)

SHARE THIS STORY

This morning, the Edmonton Oilers a majorly controversial hire with Stan Bowman as General Manager, and President Jeff Jackson is already in damage control mode.

Fans thought a decision was imminent last night, when Jeff Jackson made himself private on social media. Now, he won't be bombarded with fans that are outraged with the decision.

Bowman resigned from the Blackhawks and was banned from the NHL in 2021 for his inaction when Kyle Beach made claims of abuse against coach Brad Aldrich. Bowman has apparently �done the work' to learn from his mistake, and has earned an endorsement from former NHLer and abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy. Still, many fans don't find Bowman's inaction to be forgivable, and will simply never trust or respect him again. The Oilers and Jeff Jackson know this, and yet today, they will launch a defence of Bowman's character in the introductory press conference.

The Oilers had such a fantastic offseason so far, making great value moves to improve the team immediately and in the future. Jeff Jackson was on one of the greatest rolls in Oilers management recent history, and then blew it all up by hiring someone with this history.

This is an incredibly disappointing day for the Oilers, and a massive let down from Jeff Jackson. When there was so many other options, hiring Stan Bowman just doesn't make any sense.