Edmonton Oilers Taking Heat After Naming Stan Bowman New GM

The Edmonton Oilers are taking plenty of heat on Wednesday after announcing their search for a new GM has landed on the previously disgraced Stan Bowman.

The #Oilers have named Stan Bowman General Manager & Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 24, 2024

Bowman was recently reinstated by the NHL after being suspended for over two years due to his role as GM for the Chicago Blackhawks during their infamous mishandling of the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal.

TSN/Forbes legal analyst Eric Macramalla reacted this way:

Why on earth would the Oilers hire Stan Bowman? Terrible business decision. Astonishingly tone deaf. Old school hockey at it again.
— Eric Macramalla (@EricMacramalla) July 24, 2024

"Why on earth would the Oilers hire Stan Bowman? Terrible business decision. Astonishingly tone deaf. Old school hockey at it again."

The Athletic's NHL lead writer Mark Lazerus had this to say:

I'm genuinely glad that Stan Bowman has put in the work to learn, to understand, to grow, and to help others handle future situations properly. Truly.

But we can't forget that these men's craven failure led directly to the sexual abuse of a minor. You don't HAVE to hire them.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 24, 2024

"I'm genuinely glad that Stan Bowman has put in the work to learn, to understand, to grow, and to help others handle future situations properly. Truly," writes Lazerus. "But we can't forget that these men's craven failure led directly to the sexual abuse of a minor. You don't HAVE to hire them."

He suggested that Bowman would have been better off "continuing to work with someone like Sheldon Kennedy, to carve out a new path in the hockey world as an educator."

Courtney Theriault, host at 630 CHED radio in Edmonton, reacted this way:

It’s one thing to hire another old guard GM again when there are plenty of young, bright hockey minds deserving of a shot to push the team over the finish line. It’s another thing entirely to hire a guy who put winning and the old boys’ mentality over basic human dignity.

As for Bowman, his chance to respond came at a news conference Wednesday in Edmonton.

Bowman: "My response was inadequate back in 2010. I didn’t handle things properly. I should have done more. And that’s something I regret, and it’s something I’ve had a chance to reflect on and try to learn from."

Bowman said he's said as much to Kyle Beach.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 24, 2024

Stan Bowman: "I learned some things I didn’t know and I learned ways that I could do a better job in the future. I can tell you without a doubt those things will never happen on my watch again."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 24, 2024

He admitted that his response in 2010 was "inadequate", he "regrets" it, and he's "learned some things I didn't know." He emphasized that "without a doubt those things will never happen on my watch again."

Bowman, 51, led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The Kyle Beach incident dates back to 2010.