Confirmed with Link: Jeff Jackson (McDavid's now former agent) named Oilers CEO of Hockey Ops

[Anarchism]

Jerk type post.

Its a forum here. Is this much of a caustic post really required?

Yes ...sometimes i would like to be the alligator on the wall in the boardroom...it better have a big chaulk board so i can give them instructions on what to do and how to do it!

 

[Drivesaitl]

Yes ...sometimes i would like to be the alligator on the wall in the boardroom...it better have a big chaulk board so i can give them instructions on what to do and how to do it!

All I'm getting at is its a discussion board. Different views can probably be contained and exist here.

 

[Sheikyerbouti]

People just need to complain, If you were to write up the perfect resume for a hockey exec this is it.


If I owned a hockey team I would absolutely be hunting for agents with law degrees to run it over former players

One of the biggest historical issues with the Oilers has been not reading the market correctly

 

[Drivesaitl]

If the oilers had actually listened to joe faceless fan rather than used the morons running things over the last 20 years they'd be a hell of a lot further along. And that is a sad truth.

"The Oilers are proud to select Steve Kelly"

Really for the last 30yrs its been that kind of franchise. That was the moment we probably should have run screaming.

Shane Doan makes sure to kill us for most of his hockey career when the fans here actually wanted him. Anybody in the crowd chanting Shane Doan knew better. Which is to say everybody in the crowd here at Rexall.

 

[Anarchism]

Well hopefully the new GM search begins ASAFP.
L. Gillman and E. Tulsky would be good interviewees.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Oilers just posted this on their X account too!

That to me sounds like McDavid is looking to the horizon and plans to stay. As for Draisaitl, who knows? SO GET THEM A CUP HOLLAND!

 

[Drivesaitl]

I cannot for the love of me understand why Katz is content to let useless people collect massive paycheques.

He certainly does not run his other businesses like that.

Yeah I wouldn't say that. Some of his ventures have been pretty bad. Guy made a killing on a relative loophole in meds and specifically generic meds as Canada and the US had different regulations with the same. Katz was basically able to run a shellgame wherein he obtained generics easier here, and at less cost and was able to distribute these in the US for larger margin. That was essentially his path to Billion. Thats the readers digest version.

He then parlayed his fortune to pretty reasonably astute real estate portfolio and especially good given the COE propensity to bankroll such things. Katz made a reported 200M profit on sale of Edmonton tower alone. Two other of the towers have been either sold, or parts of sold, and those profits not reported yet.

 

[Broberg Speed]

The state of management of the Canadian teams is an embarrassment generally. All the best run teams are south of the border. No Cups up here since 1993 isn't an accident though.

Bettman named commissioner in 1993. Horrible shit happens to every Canadian franchise for 30 years.

"The Oilers are proud to select Steve Kelly"

Really for the last 30yrs its been that kind of franchise. That was the moment we probably should have run screaming.

Shane Doan makes sure to kill us for most of his hockey career when the fans here actually wanted him. Anybody in the crowd chanting Shane Doan knew better. Which is to say everybody in the crowd here at Rexall.

Steve Kelly and Shane Doan drafted in 1995. Jets relocated to Phoenix in 1996.

If the oilers had actually listened to joe faceless fan rather than used the morons running things over the last 20 years they'd be a hell of a lot further along. And that is a sad truth.

Let the good times roll.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

Just call the team the Edmonton McDavids and be done with it. Another McD hire. Seems like he has massive influence now on decisions

I dunno. Hire on merit, not because McD wants his gang here.

The tail does seem to be wagging the dog here. If this hire means McDavid and Draisaitl stay, it could be a huge win and we will be in the cup mix for years to come though.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

All I'm getting at is its a discussion board. Different views can probably be contained and exist here.

As frustrating as it gets sometimes, having people with different opinions is what makes this place interesting.

having a bunch of yes men would be boring.

 

[bellagiobob]

 

[Soundwave]

The tail does seem to be wagging the dog here. If this hire means McDavid and Draisaitl stay, it could be a huge win and we will be in the cup mix for years to come though.

The truth is McDavid and Draisaitl are more like the dog and Holland and company are more like the tail.

This is just acknowledging that. Look if the Oilers front office wanted things to be run in a "normal way", they had 8 years to show their wares and do it "the right way".

As is, I think this is an acknowledgement from Katz that he's not going to just put all his faith into Holland or whoever getting this done. We need to have contingencies.

 

[Kanedogg]

Yeah I wouldn't say that. Some of his ventures have been pretty bad. Guy made a killing on a relative loophole in meds and specifically generic meds as Canada and the US had different regulations with the same. Katz was basically able to run a shellgame wherein he obtained generics easier here, and at less cost and was able to distribute these in the US for larger margin. That was essentially his path to Billion. Thats the readers digest version.

He then parlayed his fortune to pretty reasonably astute real estate portfolio and especially good given the COE propensity to bankroll such things. Katz made a reported 200M profit on sale of Edmonton tower alone. Two other of the towers have been either sold, or parts of sold, and those profits not reported yet.

I've known people who have worked for wam and said it's the worst organization they've ever been in. Micromanage to an insane degree.

It's amazing how useless guys like Nicholson get to do God knows what.

 

[Heavy Dee]

weird press conference.

The guy, JJ, is hired as the head cheese of the org and the guy he reports to (D Katz) doesn’t even show up to announce him to the assembled, welcome him to the org or address why he was the right guy for the role. This is pretty standard when hiring CEO level types that the chairman of the BOD or Owner is there to intro/reinforce the hire..Instead, they left it to a communications lead, Tim Shipton and Holland to steer the show.

It was comical when (i think it was DVD) asked about what Bob Nicholson’s ongoing role with the org was, GMKH got a bit flummoxed and said that Tim should address that question. Off to the side without a mic , Shipton basically he’s a special advisor to the org.

Was just weird and overall felt unwelcoming to me.

The owner doesn't like the limelight. Who cares?

 

[Soundwave]

The owner doesn't like the limelight. Who cares?

Yeah I think the appearance at the Holland presser was a one time only thing to get it "out of the way" about how he looked.

 

[Drivesaitl]

People just need to complain, If you were to write up the perfect resume for a hockey exec this is it.


If I owned a hockey team I would absolutely be hunting for agents with law degrees to run it over former players

One of the biggest historical issues with the Oilers has been not reading the market correctly

Relative to what we've had JJ is probably a decent hire. Dynamite!

See if anybody gets that.

I had my snickers bar.

 

[brentashton]

Relative to what we've had JJ is probably a decent hire. Dynamite!

See if anybody gets that.

I had my snickers bar.

You “walked” me right into that one.

Good times, good times…

 

[AddyTheWrath]

This is what makes me a bit skeptical of the hire.

It's fairly unprecedented for an agent to get this job (I know somebody mentioned Burke but still....pretty rare) and it just so happens to be McDavid's agent when McDavid is a few years from free agency. The change is nice as long as Nicholson is out but I question the motive behind this hire, has a nepotistic (if this is a word) feel to it.

Kent Hughes was hired as GM after years as a player agent, IIRC.

This is actually less impactful in terms of actual player negotiations, signings, etc, and moreso on how the organization is run as a whole (e.g. how much stock is put into analytics, governing who fills roles when they become open, and just generally steering hockey ops in a forward looking manner).

I'm a fan of the hire. Really hard to make the successor any less competent than the incumbent, IMO.

One more thing: Jackson is someone who's worked as an executive at multiple organizations (AGM & Dir of Hockey Ops with Leafs, Partner at Orr Hockey Group, EVP at Wasserman). He has qualifications. It also helps that he's McDavid's agent, of course.

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Seems like a bit of a jump from player agent to CEO but even if it's a nepo hire it does suggest McDavid is all-in here. It also means no more Bob Nicholson which can only be good news.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Yeah I wouldn't say that. Some of his ventures have been pretty bad. Guy made a killing on a relative loophole in meds and specifically generic meds as Canada and the US had different regulations with the same. Katz was basically able to run a shellgame wherein he obtained generics easier here, and at less cost and was able to distribute these in the US for larger margin. That was essentially his path to Billion. Thats the readers digest version.

He then parlayed his fortune to pretty reasonably astute real estate portfolio and especially good given the COE propensity to bankroll such things. Katz made a reported 200M profit on sale of Edmonton tower alone. Two other of the towers have been either sold, or parts of sold, and those profits not reported yet.

If there's one lesson I've learned over the past year or so, it's that rich != smart.

 

[unicornBLOOD]

I personally don't know what to make of the whole situation in hindsight.

Round 1 4 of the 5 games are 4 goals against Winnipeg. With a Hellybuyck the goalie.

Round 2 we don't need to debate.

Round 3 21 goals in 6 games against Oettinger

Then finals just an outright slaughter on goaltending.

We probably had the weakest goaltending going into the playoffs, but Vegas made everyone look god awful in net.

you can't deny that Skinner or Campbell will have to be better than what Skinner was in these playoffs. You don't need to have HOF goaltending to win the cup, but it has to be better than average. Bottom line, Skinner wasn't good enough, our D/defensive play wasn't good enough either. That will all need to improve if they want to win the Cup.

As for the Jackson hiring, I love it. He's super connected to the hockey world, and even more connected to McDavid. Hopefully he can help get this team over the finish line.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

Jerk type post.

Its a forum here. Is this much of a caustic post really required?

Well I’m a jerk. And I’m tired of people living in this fantasy world where they’d have any sort of clue about a job like that. We don’t have any idea about his process and what he did, who he talked to, and who he interviewed and who declined. So when people say if oh yeah if he just hands the job to so and so then I think he’s not doing a good job. But really we’d never really know how extensive his search was so it’s kind of ludicrous to base an opinion about someone’s job performance based solely on that.

What I will say is that Jackson is very well regarded in hockey circles and I think a lot of the reaction around the league shows that and honestly I think there’s still a lot of shock. This is a guy who would have been managing a half a billion dollars in contracts in a couple years and he walked away from that to take this job. That says a lot to me.

 

[Beerfish]

Well I’m a jerk. And I’m tired of people living in this fantasy world where they’d have any sort of clue about a job like that. We don’t have any idea about his process and what he did, who he talked to, and who he interviewed and who declined. So when people say if oh yeah if he just hands the job to so and so then I think he’s not doing a good job. But really we’d never really know how extensive his search was so it’s kind of ludicrous to base an opinion about someone’s job performance based solely on that.

What I will say is that Jackson is very well regarded in hockey circles and I think a lot of the reaction around the league shows that and honestly I think there’s still a lot of shock. This is a guy who would have been managing a half a billion dollars in contracts in a couple years and he walked away from that to take this job. That says a lot to me.

Sounds just like Victor Cui of the Elks.

As I said he'll be judged on what he does not his resume before he gets the job.

 

[McDoused]

I love that we are bringing in guys like Jeff Jackson who have a different set of skills to compliment our "hockey guys" in Ken Holland, Steve Staois, Keith Gretzky and Paul Coffey. Seems like a good mix with Bill Scott and Brad Holland bridging the gap.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Seems like a solid hire and the relationship with Connor should definitely help to retain Connor down the line unless everything goes to shit between now and his contract being up.