The Edmonton Oilers made the controversial decision to hire Stan Bowman as their new general manager (GM) and executive vice president of hockey operations on Wednesday, July 24, and fan response has not been positive at all. After the shocking move, Oilers fans all over social media began pushing back, citing both Bowman’s past moves as a GM being questionable, on top of how he mishandled a serious situation with the Chicago Blackhawks over a decade ago. While Jeff Jackson spoke to the media and was adamant that he believed Bowman has become a better person and assured fans that they had the organization’s best interest in mind, there were better options available to the Oilers that they chose not to hire, making this hiring even more mind-boggling.
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Now before we begin, I understand Bowman has become a better person and has the blessing of everyone involved to resume working in the NHL again, and I respect the fact he took the time to better himself as a human being and can understand the severity of what he did that led to his expulsion from the league, and I hope he continues to prove that with the Oilers. With that being said, this article strictly looks at the hockey side of why Bowman wasn’t the best choice, and why these people could have done a better job.
Bowman made some odd decisions during his time with the Blackhawks, including moving Artemi Panarin for close to nothing, trading two first-round picks and a top prospect for a known liability on the blue line in Seth Jones, and questionable long-term extensions that led to some money issues down the line. In this article, let’s look at nine candidates who would have been better hires than Bowman.
Mark Hunter
Taking a look outside the organization, the first person who could have made more sense is Mark Hunter. Hunter, who is 61 years old, currently serves as the GM of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and has a proven record as someone who has helped build one of the most consistent contenders in the entire Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Hunter also has some experience at the NHL level serving as the assistant GM for the Maple Leafs from 2014 to 2018. He also served as the GM for Team Canada at the World Juniors, helping lead them to a gold medal in 2020. He has a proven winning record and deserves a shot at a GM position in the NHL, so it’s surprising he wasn’t the one the Oilers decided to bring in.
Shawn Horcoff
Another potential candidate who could have been a better fit is former Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff, who has been in the Detroit Red Wings front office since the 2016-17 season. He was their director of player development until the 2021-22 season when he was promoted to assistant GM and was also named GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL). Since the 2021-22 season, Horcoff has remained in the same position and is often praised by Red Wings fans for his ability to help develop younger players. The connection to the Oilers makes sense too, since he played parts of 11 seasons with them, with his final three as the captain.
Jason Botterill
Jason Botterill has a long resume as a staff member around the NHL. He started in the 2006-07 season with the Dallas Stars as a scout before moving to the Pittsburgh Penguins as their director of hockey operations for two seasons. In the 2009-10 season, Botterill was promoted to assistant GM of the Penguins and served as the GM of their minor-league affiliate until the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. Botterill accepted his first GM job with the Buffalo Sabres where he spent three seasons before leaving. Since the 2020-21 season, he has served as the assistant GM of the Seattle Kraken.
Jarmo Kekäläinen
Jarmo Kekäläinen has a long and impressive resume. Most impressive though, is his long stint as the GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets from the 2012-13 season until the 2023-24 season when he was let go. He currently serves as a senior advisor for HIFK in the Liiga in Finland. While the Blue Jackets weren’t able to win a championship during his time there, he made some impressive trades and got the most value out of players he moved, all while also signing coveted free agent Johnny Gaudreau and bringing a big name to Columbus.
Kirt Hill
A bit out of left field with this one here, but Kirt Hill deserves a shot in the NHL. He has served as the GM and president of hockey operations for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since the 2018-19 season and continues to help lead them through a rebuild. While young at just 36 years old, Hill has a proven track record as someone who can make the most of his assets and make the right moves to win a championship.
Chuck Fletcher
Chuck Flecther is another candidate who has an impressive resume at the NHL level. He served as the GM of the Minnesota Wild from the 2009-10 season until the 2012-13 season, before being promoted to executive VP of hockey operations while maintaining the GM position. He joined the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2018-19 season as their new GM and president of hockey operations, until being let go in the 2022-23 season. Fletcher’s right on par with Bowman when it comes to how strong they are on the trade market, but I give Fletcher a slight edge.
Jeff Jackson
This one is simple and is one every Oilers fan wanted after the offseason Jeff Jackson had, but unfortunately, he wasn’t interested in being the GM full-time. From bringing in Matt Savoie to signing Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to letting Vincent Desharnais walk and not overpaying him, almost every decision Jackson made as the interim GM was perfect, and has set the Oilers up for success heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Ryan Martin
The final name I will touch on is Ryan Martin, who serves as the assistant GM of the New York Rangers and the GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He seems to be in line for a GM position when another one opens up around the NHL, as his extensive work with the Rangers and their success could help land him a job soon. It’s safe to assume the Oilers considered hiring him considering the connection to head coach Kris Knoblauch.
Bowman may be a Stanley Cup champion who has three championships under his belt, which is enticing for Oilers fans who want the team to try and make a push for their first Stanley Cup since 1990, but he has some issues with the way he works. His trades in the past are worrisome, specifically, the infamous Jones sign-and-trade with the Blue Jackets, and he has been blamed for being the sole reason why the Blackhawks are rebuilding. At the end of the day, Oilers fans are going to voice their opinions, but hopefully, Bowman can prove the doubters wrong and can help bring a championship back to Edmonton. But, I believe these eight people could have been better fits.
