'So much noise': Social media attacks on NHLers can get out of hand, Oilers GM says

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The excellent 100% Hockey Talk podcast with John Shannon and Daren Millard’s meaty interview with Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman saw Bowman refer a few times to the intense social media maelstrom now around National Hockey League players. This is something Bowman knows well given the heated and often angry discussion around his own career following the Kyle Beach incident in Chicago.

Bowman first dug into the subject when he was asked for his thoughts on the Oilers coming back with goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard in net, even as the two had inconsistent seasons and playoffs performances. Skinner, in particular, has come in for heavy social media criticism (though generally mainstream media commentators have backed the goalie).

While Skinner and Pickard are the Oiler goalies heading into the 2025-26 season, Bowman targeted bringing in another goalie this summer but failed to close any deal. He did, however, not renew the contract of goalie coach Dustin Schwartz, instead bringing in Peter Aubry, a former goalie coach in Bowman’s old Blackhawks organization.

Millard asked Bowman what he would say to fans who wanted more change, a new goalie or two?

“I think to change something, just to change it, I don’t know that I’ve ever been a big fan of that..,” Bowman said. “I think you have to be confident that the change that you’re making is an improvement. And I think when we looked around at the options, I think there was nothing that made sense to give us a better look.”

Bowman continued: “I recognize why people feel that way. But also you have to do things that you and your group feel are the most wise moving forward. And that’s how we landed where we are now.”

Bowman then talked about Aubry’s coming on board.”There’s, number one, establishing that relationship, because the goalie has to feel connected to their goalie coach and be on the same level and know that they’re there to try to make them better. So then there’s the technical components, which they’re going to watch a lot of video. They’re going to have, there may be adjustments that, you know, I mean, when I thought we interviewed through the process, of course, Peter presented his thoughts and sort of the other candidates like on things that they think could help our goaltenders… I listened and they all made sense. And I think I’m open minded to that. But as far as how he goes about that, that’s what they’re (the coaches) there for. I’m not really going to meddle in any of that. I’m just going to hopefully have them establish like some good communication and collaboration, I guess would be the best thing that I want to make sure happens. And then from there, you know, the goalie and the goalie coach, at the end of the day, they’re accountable for their performance.”

Shannon suggested to Bowman it’s amazing the amount of criticism given the two goalies have taken Edmonton to two Stanley Cup Finals in a row.

And that’s when Bowman went into his social media critique.

“I think that’s just part of the world that we’re living in today. I don’t know if it’s good or bad. It’s the society that we’re all part of. And, you know, I think there’s a lot of elements to social media that are a big reason for that. I think there’s tons of benefits of social media. But there are some downsides too.”

Bowman continued: “There’s so much emotion, and there’s so much passion, but there’s also sometimes just so much noise out there. And I think whereas 20 years ago there was just as much emotion and noise, but there was really no platform for these people to connect with other people that sort of felt similarly wound up. They just were sort of yelling out their window and nobody was connecting to it.

“Now, when someone yells out their window and they can connect to millions of people at one time, and even if they have no credibility and don’t know what they’re talking about, there’s a lot of other people and that’s the world we have to live with. So we can’t sit here and say it’s bad because there’s tons of great sides to it. But I think that is the downside, which is the passion and the emotion of the fans and the media has allowed some of this stuff to probably get out of hand. And we didn’t really have that, say, 20 years ago.”

My take

1. I’m going to start about by agreeing with Bowman’s main point. There are all kinds of folks on social media who know little about hockey, little about NHL goaltending, but absolutely lose their minds with rage whenever a goal gets scored on Skinner.

And social media does, indeed, connect up and amplify all the haters.

2. Things got so bad that some few anonymous fans (and I’m not sure whether or not those fans were Oilers fans or simply troublemakers, possibly from other cities) issued death threats against Skinner’s family. Such death threats or threats of violence happen all too often on social media (I’ve had many myself). It’s almost always just hot air nonsense, but it’s still profoundly troubling to have to worry about the safety of your family.

3. In the face of these dynamics, the sane response to social media is either to tune it out completely or to turn it out selectively.

I’ve long recommended that the basic rules for NHL teams when it comes to media training should be:

1A. Never go on social media or listen to sports talk radio.

1B: Tell your friends, family and acquaintances to either do the same, or at least never mention to you what they’ve seen on social media, good or bad.

NHL players should listen to their coach, GM and fellow players, not to anyone on social media. And, as professionals, they should have the discipline to resist tuning into social media.

4. I’m on social media for work and pleasure. I have come to enjoy it immensely. You won’t find a better source of breaking Oilers news than X (Twitter), nor will you find more informed and sharp hockey talk. It’s a great place to meet and discuss hockey with other fans and pundits. Bowman himself recognized the good of social media with Shannon and Millard.

As most of you know, I have plenty of opinions and make no end of criticisms on social media, so it’s only right that I should have a thick skin and take plenty of heat.

I accept that. As the years have gone by (I’ve been on Twitter since March 2007) I have learned that social media is just talk, it’s often fury, froth, nonsense and madness, it’s no big deal, so no sense in getting too worked up. At same time if some accounts libel and defame me, or hallucinate and make up dark and fantastical things about what they believe I think, I employ the mute and/or block buttons.

I reserve the block button mostly for anonymous accounts. If someone uses their real name I’m far more likely to give them a hearing, even if I find they’re obnoxious. I can be obnoxious myself so I try to cut some slack, hoping others will reciprocate. I’ve also found that it’s sometimes the folks who criticize me most ardently who have also sharpened up my own thinking and work the most.

5. Having trouble with social media? Getting wound up? Constantly triggered?

Plenty of great advice on this particular foible comes from one of the world’s great systems of ideas, Stoicism, and one that has much to say about dealing with the opinions of others. As modern day American stoic writer Ryan Holiday puts it: “A Stoic knows they will be the recipient of unfair criticism. They don’t whine and bitch about it. They don’t get distracted by it or make impotent threats. They certainly don’t take it personally either (In fact, Epictetus liked to joke that when someone unfairly criticizes you, feel grateful that they didn’t point out your real flaws). No, they didn’t do any of that. Because they had a job to do. Because they knew that trying to control other people’s opinions was like trying to control the weather—and that a public life guarantees public scrutiny. And they knew one other thing: They knew that if they stuck to their ideals and ethics and did their work well, in the end, proper judgement would be rendered. We would do well to remember the same thing.”

And then there’s what Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a renowned Stoic philosopher, had to say: “When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. But I have seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil, and have recognized that the wrongdoer has a nature related to my own—not of the same blood or birth, but the same mind, and possessing a share of the divine. And so none of them can hurt me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry at my relative, or hate him. We were born to work together like feet, hands, and eyes, like the two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are unnatural.”

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6. The last word here: What do you do with noise? Tune it out. Shut the window. Play some other tune. Turn the page. Either that or work on building the thickest of skins and calmest of temperaments.

If Bowman and his media team aren’t constantly preaching this to their players, I’ll suggest they consider it. The GM and his management team aren’t doing their job if they let social media madness overwhelm them.

At the Cult of Hockey

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