Zach Hyman stepped in Thursday to defend Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock after Mark Messier sharply questioned his hiring.
The Oilers winger made it clear he still holds Messier in enormous regard. But Hyman pushed back on the negative tone surrounding Edmonton as training camp gets underway.
“Everybody has their own opinion,” Hyman said while addressing the criticism. His connection to Messier runs deeper than most current Oilers because both wore No. 11 in Edmonton.
Hyman pointed to the excitement around the club and invited Messier to see the situation firsthand rather than judge it from outside the locker room.
His response comes after Messier told ESPN he was “absolutely shocked” by Edmonton's decision to hire Babcock and questioned the process that led to the move.
Messier also raised concerns about players reportedly having a role in interviewing and evaluating the coaching candidate, arguing that management and player responsibilities should remain clearly separated.
Hyman pushes back as Babcock scrutiny grows
Messier's strongest reaction left little doubt about his position: “I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you.”
Babcock took a different approach when he faced reporters Thursday. Instead of returning the criticism, Edmonton's new bench boss said he had “nothing but respect” for Messier.
The coach spoke positively about Messier's leadership and competitive style while recalling previous personal interactions between the two. Babcock also made it clear outside criticism won't dictate how he approaches the job.
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Edmonton hired Babcock on June 23, putting him back behind an NHL bench after several years away.
Now Hyman has publicly joined the conversation, giving Babcock support from inside the Oilers locker room while also leaving the door open for Messier to visit the team.
That makes this bigger than one former Oilers star criticizing a coaching hire. Edmonton is entering camp with its new coach under intense scrutiny, and one of its prominent forwards has already drawn a line around the atmosphere inside the room.
Was Zach Hyman right to publicly push back against Mark Messier?
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