SHAKE UP IN E-TOWN
Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) Chief Executive Officer & Vice Chair Bob Nicholson announced today significant changes to the management structure of the organization – both in hockey and business operations.
Peter Chiarelli has been appointed President of Hockey Operations and General Manager effective immediately. Chiarelli will report to CEO Bob Nicholson, and be responsible for all aspects of hockey operations.
“We are delighted to bring a person of Peter’s considerable hockey knowledge and experience to the Edmonton Oilers. Peter has had success at all levels of the game and we look forward to his leadership,” said Nicholson.
“I am honoured to join such a great organization with a long history of success. There is a strong, young core here with good complementary players,” said Chiarelli. “I hope to bring it to the next level with a measured approach. Daryl Katz and Bob Nicholson have a great vision here for the team and Rogers Place. I am very excited to be a part of it.”
Most recently, Chiarelli served as the General Manager of the Boston Bruins for the past eight seasons. He guided the Bruins to the Stanley Cup Finals twice during his tenure in Boston, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2011.
The Nepean, Ontario native has also served as a member of the management group for Hockey Canada’s National Men’s Team, including the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2013 Men’s World Hockey Championships.
Chiarelli graduated from Harvard University with an Economics degree in 1987 and he played for the Harvard men’s hockey team from 1983-87. He began his career in hockey after graduating with a law degree from the University of Ottawa and was hired as the Director of Legal Relations for the Ottawa Senators in 2000. In 2005, Chiarelli was promoted to assistant General Manager of the Senators and he served in that role for one season, before being hired by the Boston Bruins in 2006.
Kevin Lowe’s responsibilities transition out of hockey operations, however, he remains Vice Chair of Oilers Entertainment Group.
“I support Bob in the changes he has implemented and I am very excited about the bright future for the Edmonton Oilers, the City of Edmonton and Oilers fans everywhere,” said Kevin Lowe. “It has been an honour to represent the Oilers both on and off the ice, and I look forward to my new role in the organization.”
It's about time a shake up was done in Edmonton. It was time to get rid of the old boys club. Just make sure you don't trade away the #1 pick
Guessing McTavish will get another promotion.
How does Kevin Lowe survive again? He must have some really good pictures of Katz and sheep.
Next up is a coach. What does it take to get a guy like Babcock.
With Chiarelli named GM I assume MacT is gone. That's good but why give Lowe another appointment? They should both be canned. They have mishandled everything except that lucky lotto ball. Without exception, Hall, Eberle, RNH and Yak were better hockey players when the Oilers drafted them than they are now after years of guidance from Lowe and MacT.
FINALLY things are happening in Edmonton , they should make the playoffs next year.
I feel sorry for Mac T, he was handed Tambellini's mess and was probably thinking things were starting to go his way. Chiarelli is/will be a good GM though. Lowe on the other hand, gets to work on the Entertainment side…which is his forte.
Lowe is the Vice Chair of Entertainment. Basically he drinks with Katz, tells stories of the glory days and lets Katz wear his Stanley cup rings.
Those moves are good but the cuts were not deep enough. You've got to totally get rid of Lowe and MacT to get rid of the loser syndrome that surrounds that team. Just shuffling them in the system isn't good enough.
A year ago everybody but two people in Alberta could see that Dallas Eakins wasn't the answer. Those two were Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish and they started this season with him. Yet even after the shuffle, they still get a cheque from the Oilers for doing some phoney job. I don't understand pro sports.