Stan Bowman called Kyle Beach before Oilers’ announcement

It was made official on Wednesday that Stan Bowman was returning to the NHL as the Edmonton Oilers hired him as their new general manager and executive vice president of hockey operations. Bowman was introduced by Oilers and CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson, who started the press conference by explaining why he picked Bowman despite his controversial past. Jackson said he spent “a number of weeks” interviewing GM candidates, but kept going back to Bowman: “He was the guy.”

“What happened to Kyle Beach in 2010 was wrong, it wasn’t handled properly at the time. I think Stan has acknowledged and taken full responsibility … but I also know that he’s spent (the time) to learn, done a lot of work with Sheldon Kennedy…”

Jackson had a conversation with Kennedy before making the decision to make Bowman his GM and got “a full endorsement” on his work.

“We wouldn’t have made this hire without knowing Stan had done all that work.”

Along with Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville and fellow executive Al MacIsaac, Bowman was banned in 2021 from holding executive positions in the NHL after an independent investigation revealed that they had mishandled allegations of sexual assault raised by a former player, who later identified himself as Kyle Beach, regarding the team’s video coach Brad Aldrich in 2010. All three executives involved were reinstated by the NHL on July 1 and were eligible to sign a contract as of July 10.

At the start of his presser, Bowman immediately addressed his past mistakes and stated that: “My response was inadequate back in 2010. I didn’t handle things properly. I should have done more. And that’s something I regret, and it’s something I’ve had a chance to reflect on and try to learn from.”

He held the same speech to Kyle Beach and even revealed that he called him last night to tell him ahead of everyone that he would become the new general manager of the Oilers, per Mark Lazerus. Bowman said that it was “an encouraging conversation."

Bowman also maintains that he not only wants to make sure a Kyle Beach situation does not repeat itself on his watch but also wants to tackle harassment, hazing and bullying.

There is no doubt that Bowman will need to prove that he has learned from the past to get the trust of fans and even players. Today's press conference was the first step in this process following his conversation with Beach before the official announcement. When it comes to the backlash from the fanbase, Bowman said this: 

"I respect the way that they feel. It’s going to be my job to try to win them over. The goal is to try to do it through your actions as opposed to what you’re saying. I understand where they’re coming from and I want to try to earn their respect over time."