Less than one week remains until the puck drops on the Edmonton Oilers 2026-27 NHL season.
But as the puck drops, the tension in the latest season of The Mike Babcock Saga is only going to increase.
Yes, I'm aware that Hollywood's attention is still fixated on the Avengers: Endgame re-release (is Babcock the next person slated to return in Avengers: Doomsday?) as well as Jimmy Kimmel Live's Guillermo Rodriguez and his ongoing run on Dancing With the Stars (it feels like there's a half-decent chance that continues for another week or two). But with the way this Oilers drama is, has, and could unfold, the Television Academy might need to consider The Mike Babcock Saga for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
Mark Messier gives a telling statement about Babcock
Mark Messier is no stranger to the Oilers organization. Having contested 12 seasons with the Oilers, winning five Stanley Cups in the process, Messier has experienced the kind of success that this version of the franchise is hoping to attain.
Clearly, he's opposed to the route that the Oilers are taking to achieve said success.
While taking the time to join an ESPN call one week out from their opening-night tripleheader - the network will be covering the season-opening contest between the reigning Cup champions Carolina Hurricanes and the reloaded Florida Panthers, in addition to the New York Rangers-Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks-Vegas Golden Knights contests - Messier took the time to respond to the Oilers' decision to hire Babcock as their new head coach.
He used the phrasing "absolutely shocked" and "horrified" to describe his view. He also took the time to criticize how the Oilers' top players were involved in hiring Babcock and that such a strategy impacts the relationship between the players and the team's captains/alternate captains, in addition to that between the roster and the front office.
Despite optimism about the hire, Messier proves that there is still significant opposition
Some have started to come around to the decision to hire Babcock, and some have even made their praise for Babcock's work public in recent days.
But given that there was only recently significant opposition and controversy surrounding even the prospect of the Oilers hiring him, Messier's comments should do enough to bring the anti-Babcock crowd back into the spotlight. Not only that, but his opposition to the Babcock hire proves that even the legends of Oilers past do not think that this is the best approach for the team.
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