The Edmonton Oilers have a long history of giving people second chances.

This has been the case since the 1980s, a philosophy supported by former general manager Glen Sather. Of course, people should be held accountable for their actions. However, once they have dealt with their issues, who doesn’t deserve a second chance? If you look at the Oilers’ history with Craig MacTavish, Grant Fuhr, Zach Kassian, Evander Kane, and Corey Perry, the results have been positive. Could their hiring of Mike Babcock work out for the best?

Craig MacTavish

In 1984, MacTavish was playing for the Boston Bruins. Unfortunately, he was involved in a terrible accident that took the life of a Boston resident and was later found guilty of vehicular homicide, spending a year in jail. Remorseful, the 25-year-old made peace with the victim’s family. Glen Sather was good friends with Boston GM Harry Sinden and learned about the young centre and the tragic incident. The Oilers’ GM decided to sign him after the Bruins terminated MacTavish’s contract.

MacTavish became a big part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams in Edmonton. He was a reliable, heart-and-soul player who centred the third line. If the Oilers were up by a goal, you knew MacTavish would be on the ice to keep the other team in check. He had 316 points in 593 regular-season games, and he added 37 points in 117 playoff games. However, his main contribution was shutting down the opposition.

Later, he became captain, then assistant coach, head coach, general manager, and then vice-president. As a coach, he guided the Oilers to the 2006........

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