Edmonton gets an oil change
Steven Rawlins
Posted on: 06 August 2008 - 12:54
Hockey
In preparation for the forthcoming NHL season, Daryl Katz, the new Edmonton Oilers owner, has decided to give the managerial composition of his hockey club a resounding shake to focus on the team’s interest in “strength and competitiveness.”
Strength from within
Based on the judgment that depth off the ice, at the executive heart of the club, will translate to success in the arena, Steve Tambellini has been handed a four year contract to take the position of Oilers GM. In an interview at a local Edmonton radio station, he demonstrated his enthusiasm and excitement for his new job in Alberta. "I am extremely proud and I am extremely fired up, I knew there was a day I was going to have to leave but I promised myself I wasn't going to leave just to be a general manager in the NHL. I was going to leave for the right general manager position and this felt right from Day 1."
Leaving Vancouver
For his previous club of seventeen years, the Vancouver Canucks, Tambellini was involved in nearly every part of the Canucks organization at some point, dealing with player contract renewals, talent spotting, and minor league relations. He recently held the position of both assistant general manager and the vice president of hockey operations. For a while it has seemed obvious that a big move away from the Canucks had to happen soon, especially since Tambellini’s contract had a get-out clause should he be offered the position of general manager. Current Cancuks manager Mike Gillis commented "I knew Steve was going to get a chance somewhere down the road here to run his own hockey team and I fully endorse it."
Managerial overhaul
Tambellini’s appointment in Edmonton has come as part of a greater managerial shakeup. Kevin Prendergast, the vice president of operations for the last nine years has been moved to the position of assistant to the new general manager. However, he will continue to preside over the Oilers scouting staff.
One man unaffected by the staff changes was the president and CEO Patrick LeForge, who defended such an extreme staff reshuffle, claiming that "We just can't do the things we want to do if we don't have more people."
Kevin Lowe, the general manager for the Oilers since June 2000, and who led them to the Stanely Cup Final in 2006, has also been “reshuffled”, receiving a promotion to the position of “president of hockey operations.”
Old partners
This is not the first time Lowe and Tambellini have hooked up. They having worked together previously as part of the Canadian Olympic hockey team, a combination that brought Canada great success on the international stage. Tambellini specifically has been a pivotal figure in boosting Canada’s fortunes. As Director of Player Personnel he was the man who formed the team that triumphed in Salt Lake City and took home the gold in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Demonstrating his direct managerial prowess Tambellini has also had experience as the general manager for Team Canada. In 2003 he led them to a gold medal finish in the IIHF World Hockey Championship, falling just short of the same achievement in 2005.
Calling the shots
Referring to the future relationship between himself and Lowe, Tambellini said "We're going to work together as a group. I don't want Kevin Lowe going anywhere. He's one of the reasons that I came here. He'll be involved as much as he wants to be involved and I look forward to that." Commenting on his own role, Lowe affirmed that he will have the final say on all trades, saying that "Somebody at the end of the day has to make the final decision and that somebody is still me.”
The Oilers internal structure now bears a striking resemblance to that of the Detroit Red Wings, a sensible move considering the recent Stanley Cup success of the Oilers’ Western Conference rivals.