‘Old School Hockey at It Again’: Oilers receive massive backlash from fans for hiring Stan Bowman as new General Manager
The Edmonton Oilers announced Stan Bowman as their General Manager on Wednesday. Fans didn’t hesitate to show their disappointment over the franchise’s decision.
![Image Courtesy: Twitter Stan Bowman](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/178557959_1280x720-2024-07-25t193137-425.jpg)
The Edmonton Oilers hired Stan Bowman as the franchise’s new General Manager on Wednesday, July 24. The 51-year-old will also take up the role of Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. The Oilers announced the signing on their X handle. Fans flocked to the comment section to share their views on the move.
Ken Holland, the Oiler’s previous GM, wasn’t offered an extension by the management. Bowman replaced Holland after the Oilers lost to the Panthers in last month's Stanley Cup final. The Oilers fans were disappointed and furious over Stowman’s hiring.
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Fans react to Oilers’ hiring Stan Bowman as their new GM
The 2024 Stanley Cup finalists post gained over 2,100 quotes and over 2,400 replies in 20 hours. The fans objected to hiring former Blackhawks GM, who was banned from holding any executive position for two years in 2021. It was proven that Bowman mishandled the allegation of sexual assault raised by Kyle Beach.
“I’ve cancelled my subscriptions. Who else is with me?” a Reddit user wrote. The Redditor added that the Oilers have hired a man who covered up a r****t’s actions. The user concluded that the Oilers know it’s bad because JJ has gone private on X.
Another fan said the Oilers only care about money, so he has stopped paying for Oilers+ and SN. “It’s really too bad. This was going to be an exciting season,” the fan said, stating he can’t support the team like he always used to.
Oilers fans on X were no different. They slammed the organization for their poor decision-making. “The Oilers had one of the best off seasons I’ve seen in my lifetime just to end it all hiring Stan Bowman who shouldn’t be anywhere near the NHL again,” one fan said.
Besides fans, multiple journalists shared their concern about the Oilers hiring somebody Bowman. TSN radio host Eric Macramalla tagged it as a horrible business decision. She couldn’t understand why on earth would the Oilers hire Stan Bowman.
Kennedy Holland on Stan Bowman replacing him as Oilers’ GM
Holland released a statement to share his views on Stan Bowman. He believes that Stan would be a valuable asset to an organisation due to his acknowledgment of past mistakes. Holland added that Bowman has relentlessly made the locker room safe for everyone.
“He possesses the insights, knowledge, and confidence needed to lead in this area,” Holland said about Bowman. He feels building a strong and healthy culture within the organisation would be Bowman’s top priority. “Lastly and most importantly I feel that Stan will do everything in his power to make sure what happened to Kyle Beach will not happen to anyone else,” Bowman concluded.
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