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

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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.
 
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.
frankly, I'd rather have Katz' style of staying out of the way, as opposed to the meddling owners like in Vancouver (and Calgary)
this doesn't bother me one bit
 
I’d prefer this, anointing assistants as the next GM by default is how you get into trouble.

Hopefully Jackson uses a process to determine Holland’s successor, interviewing multiple candidates. Even ones who probably won’t take the job to get their takes.
This right here makes the move worthwhile for me. Speculation is that this is Holland’s last season as GM. They need somebody in this organization capable of making the right decision on who to replace him with. I don’t know if Jackson is that guy or not but I’m convinced Nicholson (or Lowe or whoever else we have here that’s in Katz’ ear) is not. As with all these moves, we’ll have to wait to see how it plays out. We needed to move in this direction and I’m just relieved Katz recognized it.
 
frankly, I'd rather have Katz' style of staying out of the way, as opposed to the meddling owners like in Vancouver (and Calgary)
this doesn't bother me one bit
He certainly does not 'stay out of the way' he hires the lousy bozos running the team. Yeah then he stays out of the way and lets them make all sorts of terrible decisions.
 
This right here makes the move worthwhile for me. Speculation is that this is Holland’s last season as GM. They need somebody in this organization capable of making the right decision on who to replace him with. I don’t know if Jackson is that guy or not but I’m convinced Nicholson (or Lowe or whoever else we have here that’s in Katz’ ear) is not. As with all these moves, we’ll have to wait to see how it plays out. We needed to move in this direction and I’m just relieved Katz recognized it.
imo it's not to decide who replaces Holland. Well yes it is, but first to decide if we need to replace Holland at all. There is this new pressure to put Staios in the job and I could see how Katz wonders if we are rushing that because we are afraid to lose Staios, and I could see how Katz wonders if the timing is right for the team, and also if Staios is even the right guy if it is time. At one time Eakins was the hot new commodity that we rushed to poach from the Leafs.
 
What happens after this year will tell me what I need to know about this guy running the show.

If after Holland goes he just hands the job to Holland junior or Staios then I conclude he is just another in a long list of oiler yes men who rubber stamp decisions made by others.

If after Holland leaves he conducts a totally through search for a GM all through pro hockey he might be the guy to run things going long term.
You should send him an email so he remembers to cc you on all his communications and doesn’t forget to invite you to interviews and send important information regarding candidate lists and other such things.

Just so you have all the information when deciding if he’s done a good job or not in your eyes.
 
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.

"We're paying him still whether we fire him or not, so he's got a bunch of silly menial tasks to do so he hopefully leaves soon."
 
I feel more confident that McDavid (and Draisaitl) will stay so long as the Oilers keep bringing in talent and making moves indicative of a contender. The head of the org being someone who McDavid knows super well and on top of hearing things like Leon isn't even in Germany but has chosen to stay near McDavid so they can train together says a lot, and they're both planning to come to Edmonton according to Jackson earlier this year than other years on top of that.

Jackson has known McDavid since age 15 and knows his family and his parents since then too, so look of course that is a factor in the hiring, it just has to be.

Katz must be paying this guy a fortune too to get him to give up a lucrative player agent role, so it just says to me that he will do whatever it takes to make sure McDavid is here.
 
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I feel more confident that McDavid (and Draisaitl) will stay so long as the Oilers keep bringing in talent and making moves indicative of a contender. The head of the org being someone who McDavid knows super well and on top of hearing things like Leon isn't even in Germany but has chosen to stay near McDavid so they can train together says a lot, and they're both planning to come to Edmonton according to Jackson earlier this year than other years on top of that.

Katz must be paying this guy a fortune too to get him to give up a lucrative player agent role, so it just says to me that he will do whatever it takes to make sure McDavid is here.
It's awesome that they continue to work so hard, but fact of the matter is they could put up 20 more points each, break basically every scoring record in history, and we still wouldn't win a Cup. The failings of this team are nowhere near either of them. The fact they are still going as hard as they possibly can is impressive. I know I'd have given up hope watching the rest of the team endlessly failing to play properly.
 
It's awesome that they continue to work so hard, but fact of the matter is they could put up 20 more points each, break basically every scoring record in history, and we still wouldn't win a Cup. The failings of this team are nowhere near either of them. The fact they are still going as hard as they possibly can is impressive. I know I'd have given up hope watching the rest of the team endlessly failing to play properly.

No doubt they have held up their end of the bargain.

The Oilers haven't as of yet given them enough to work with, but it's getting closer to where it needs to be.

Hopefully Jackson pushes the needle in making the big move(s) that will have to be made going forward.
 
You should send him an email so he remembers to cc you on all his communications and doesn’t forget to invite you to interviews and send important information regarding candidate lists and other such things.

Just so you have all the information when deciding if he’s done a good job or not in your eyes.
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.
 
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 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.
 
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.
Maybe Katz is still having health issues and couldn't make it.
 
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.
Sports ... are definitely different. Traditional corporate is certainly more formalized and structured needing to instil market and stakeholder confidence in publicly traded companies. This is one of the quirks of NHL hockey including pretty softball media and their line of questioning. Katz is able to maintain his distance and, in part, keep the media conference focused on the Jackson hiring.

Agreed, weird moment with the shift to ask about Nicholson. It was a Global TV reporter, no idea if she was a general reporter or in their sports department. However the re-assignment details were all in the media release which she and all media would have received prior to the formal introduction media conference. It certainly wasn't Holland's position to talk about a corporate change to a senior executive above him in the organization. Rightly deferred to the Comms Guy who essential read the boiler plate message already supplied in the media release.

I thought the format and structure was fine. Avoid including Katz to avoid the rabbit hole of Nicholson's entanglement with white hot hockey Canada mess and frankly some of the owners own personal stuff.
 
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You should send him an email so he remembers to cc you on all his communications and doesn’t forget to invite you to interviews and send important information regarding candidate lists and other such things.

Just so you have all the information when deciding if he’s done a good job or not in your eyes.
Jerk type post.

Its a forum here. Is this much of a caustic post really required?
 
Think this pretty much means "here's a box of crayons. Go play over there and don't bother us"
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.
 
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