​IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMark Messier won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, the last one assisted greatly by a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that landed Petr Klima, Adam Graves, and Joe Murphy.Looking to get back to Stanley Cup glory, the Oilers are again turning to Detroit for a boost. Over the summer, they hired former Red Wings bench boss Mike Babcock as their new coach.Whoa. My colleague Mark Messier on the Oilers hiring Mike Babcock as head coach, during the ESPN NHL Opening Night media call today. “I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you.” pic.twitter.com/Wcd7qOsm29— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 23, 2026Messier doesn’t sound like someone who thinks this is a good idea.During ESPN’s 2026 NHL Opening Night media conference call, Messier questioned the hiring of the controversial coach. Babcock was dismissed from his past two NHL jobs for bullying his players. The Columbus Blue Jackets fired him before he ever coached a game.“My mom always told me if I didn’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all,” Messier said with a laugh. “I am absolutely shocked they hired him. “I’m absolutely shocked, from the stories that I heard from very good, reputable, character people about the way they were treated. It’s been no secret.“I am just horrified about the whole thing, to be honest with you. I could go on and on and on, but I think you get my point.”Ferraro’s Son Played For Babcock With Red WingsFormer NHL forward and fellow ESPN broadcaster Ray Ferraro was much less volcanic in his assessment of the Babcock hire in Edmonton.He has more hands-on experience with Babcock than Messier. Ferraro’s son Landon was a Red Wings forward who played briefly for the team when Babcock was Detroit’s coach.“I know with Mike, the experience of being around him, and my son was in Detroit’s organization for a while, nobody will have a question about what their role is or what they’re supposed to do,” Ferraro said. “Mike, as you know, likes to talk in 15-second bursts, and everything is extremely direct. “It’ll either work or it won’t.”Mark Messier says he’s absolutely shocked the Oilers hired Mike Babcock as head coach, based on all the stories he’s heard from “reputable” people about the way they were treated by Babs 😬Messier added that he’s never heard of a process where players interview a coaching… pic.twitter.com/huIesPZTw0— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 23, 2026Ferraro insists that the Oilers know what they’re getting with Babcock, and it’s exactly what they want.“You don’t have a whole bunch of players jumping out and saying, ‘Hey, Mike is a great guy,’ that played for him in the past,” Ferraro said. “They say he’s organized, he’s detailed, he’s direct. “That’s what Edmonton is getting.”Related HeadlinesRed Wings Larkin Back on Ice; Won’t Play ThursdayThe Daily: Prospects Show Out for Detroit; Sabres