The hiring of Stan Bowman as the next GM of the Edmonton Oilers has proven to be a deeply unpopular move with segments of the fan base.
After it was announced that the Oilers would be hiring the 51-year-old executive, many fans took to social media to express their extreme displeasure with the hire. Much of this angst stems from his role in a 2010 sexual assault scandal that occurred under his watch as the GM of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bowman failed to properly report the assault. A 2021 investigation resulted in the NHL suspending him from working in the league. That suspension was lifted earlier this month.
Some Oilers fans are not only angry with the team, but are also pledging to stop supporting the organization altogether. A post on the Oilers subreddit has garnered over 2,000 upvotes and includes multiple fans who want to do just that.
“I can’t support this team the same way I always have,” the author of the post wrote. “Money is obviously the only thing these guys care about, so I’ve stopped paying for Oilers+, and [Sportsnet].
“I will also not support any of the Oilers’ main sponsors.”
I’ve canceled my subscriptions. Who else is with me?
byu/fables_of_faubus inEdmontonOilers
The post has also garnered over 850 comments from other Oilers fans, many of whom are pledging to follow suit in protest of Bowman becoming the GM.
For many, the decision to do so is deeply disappointing considering the team is coming off an amazing season and has had a very encouraging offseason with the additions of Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, and Matthew Savoie.
For some, the hiring of Bowman seems to be a step too far.
“This is an absolute embarrassment,” commented another user on the post. ” It’s gonna suck because they improved so much. You could have had a bag of sand as GM and they would have made it deep in the playoffs.”
“I’m so disappointed. I was really looking forward to the upcoming season and now I’m just disgusted,” said another.
“Go ahead and spit in my face why don’t you,” another user wrote. “I will not support this team in any way, shape or form — whether with purchases of gear, tickets, etc. or with my time and viewership so long as Bowman has a job.”
The distaste for the move has not been limited to Reddit, as many Oilers fans on X have similar opinions and are pledging to stop supporting the team as long as Bowman is a part of the organization.
As long as Stan Bowman is a part of an organization, I will never be a fan. The oilers have brought further disgrace to an already disgraceful professional sports organization
— Ryan van Leeuwen (@RAYNS_WORLDD) July 24, 2024
my time as an oilers fan has come to an end. it’s a shame the organization decided they didn’t care enough about victims to stop and consider how harmful hiring bowman is. i hope to return some day when the organization has decided to make better choices. it’s been real 🫡
— fr0nk ⁵⁶ ²⁰ 🇺🇦🇵🇸 (@twoyamsinacoat) July 24, 2024
Unacceptable @EdmontonOilers . Our family are huge fans with season tickets dating back to the first year. That’s a lot of history.
If you don’t remove Bowman then we are out. @cmcdavid97 https://t.co/XoYgfhwUkL
— Nancy N (@NancyNiederhaus) July 24, 2024
I’ve been an Oilers fan all my life. This is the first time I have ever been ashamed to be a fan @EdmontonOilers. Do the right thing and fire Bowman’s ass.
— Nicole-a-lots (@nicosodapops) July 24, 2024
My fellow #Oiler fans, I can not in good consciousness support anyone above the coaching staff or players this season.
Jackson and Bowman don’t exist to me.
— DougieDman (@OilDoug) July 25, 2024
The move is a baffling one from a PR perspective. The roster for next season was more or less set and all the team needed was someone to trim around the edges. Hiring someone as controversial as Bowman, who hasn’t had much success in the past six years in the GM chair with Chicago, doesn’t seem to make much sense on the surface.
A large subset of fans are livid with this move and, while they vow to cut ties with the team now, we’ll see if they follow through with those threats when the new season gets underway.