The Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday announced Ken Holland, the architect of three Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings, as general manager and president of hockey operations.
Holland, who spent the past 36 years with the Red Wings, takes over from the fired Peter Chiarelli.
The 63-year-old joins an Oilers outfit that has not only missed the playoffs 12 of the past 13 years but didn’t have a forward reach the 40-point mark this past season, besides Connor McDavid (116), Leon Draisaitl (105) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (69).
Hitchcock out as head coach
“That core is here. The key building blocks are here,” he said, in reference to Oilers’ superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the only forwards on the team to reach the 40-point mark this past season. “I have to go out and support that core, find a coach, provide stability and build a program that are fan base is excited about.”
Holland said Ken Hitchcock, who came out of retirement in late November to replace fired head coach Todd McLellan, would not return to the bench.
Holland, who has known Hitchcock since the early 1990s, noted it’s time for him to make change in Edmonton and build a relationship with a new coach.
Keith Gretzky wanted by Oilers
Holland will examine the Oilers defence and said the team could use another goaltender behind starter Mikko Koskinen and Anthony Stolarz.
Holland, who had not spoken with the 52-year-old Gretzky before Tuesday’s news conference, said he would like keep the former director of scouting with the Boston Bruins and Arizona Coyotes in the organization.
Holland last guided Detroit to a Cup title in 2008, watching the team fail to reach the conference finals since and not advance to the post-season each of the last three years.
Recently, Holland shifted roles to senior vice president and signed a multi-year contract when former Red Wings player and executive Steve Yzerman returned to the club as GM after serving in the role for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A week into his new job, Holland was attending the world under-18 championship in Sweden with Kris Draper, Yzerman and other Red Wings’ staff when he became “restless” and yearned to return to a GM’s role.
Chance to make impact
“I realized that I have the passion, the energy, the enthusiasm [and] desire to continue to be a general manager in the National Hockey League.”
Nicholson reached out to Holland upon the latter’s return to North America and several conversations led to a reported five-year contract worth $5 million per season.
Holland, who worked 22 seasons as Red Wings GM, believed he would remain with the organization until retirement after accepting his new role, and looked forward to working with Yzerman.
“I think about the players [in Edmonton], the franchise, the fan base [and] I think there’s an opportunity for me to try to make a positive impact. I have the responsibility to build that culture, to find ways to make the team a little bit better for [next] season, get in playoffs and keep growing and building.”
To Holland, culture is the people he adds to the team, both on and off the ice who care about the team logo and possess a strong work ethic.
“You gotta earn that jersey, you gotta respect that jersey and you gotta play hard,” he said. “We didn’t have a very good year this year [with a 32-40-10 record in Detroit] but I think were involved in 50 one-goal games. The young kids were starting to take over the team and I think we were headed in the right direction.
“It’s having veteran players, you gotta challenge the young players and give them the opportunity, but the coach has to make them accountable. There has to be an accountability in the locker room and in the front office.
“It’s a compete every day. The league is so hard to win. Your scouts gotta compete, your manager’s gotta compete, your coaches have gotta compete. You grind and grind, and I guess that’s who I am.”