Sports

Ken Holland Strikes Oil, Heads West To Edmonton

May 8, 2019 / 9:13 AM EDT / CBS Detroit

click to expand

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Yzermans arrival sends Holland packing for the west coast.

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning attends the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Edmonton Oilers hired longtime Detroit Red Wings executive Ken Holland as their new general manager and president of hockey operations Tuesday.

Holland takes over the struggling team from interim GM Keith Gretzky and one of his first tasks will be finding a new coach. Veteran Ken Hitchcock will not be back next season after taking over in November for the fired Todd McLellan.

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 08: General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings Ken Holland talks to the Lindsay family during the public visitation of NHL Hall of Famer and former Detroit Red Wing Ted Lindsay at Little Caesars Arena home of the Detroit Red Wings on March 8, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek - Pool/Getty Images)

"Right now times are tough. The team's made the playoffs once in 13 years," Holland said at a news conference, flanked by Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson and team owner Daryl Katz. "Daryl and Bob have made a decision to bring me in. I've got to come in and I've got to change the culture."

Edmonton has made the playoffs just once since advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006, and the Oilers hope Holland is the GM who can finally build a contender around superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

TORONTO, ON - FEBRUARY 27: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on February 27, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Oilers 6-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

The Oilers fired general manager Peter Chiarelli in January as the team struggled to stay in the Western Conference playoff race despite having a team led by McDavid, arguably the best player in the world.

Chiarelli was in his fourth season with the club, leading the team to a single playoff appearance in 2016-17. The Oilers advanced to the second round before losing to Anaheim in seven games.

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 23: Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland (L) and Detroit Red Wings Senior Vice President Jim Devellano speak during day two of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at Consol Energy Center on June 23, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Oilers hope the combination of Holland and a new head coach, which will be the team's eighth since 2009, will give the team the stability it expected to get with Chiarelli and McLellan running the show.

"We have not delivered in the promise we made to our fans in recent years," Katz said. "You know it, I know it, we all know it."

MONTREAL, QC - JUNE 26: (L-R) Gary Bettman of the NHL and Daryl Katz of the Edmonton Oilers photographed during the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft at the Bell Centre on June 26, 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Katz said Holland has full autonomy on hockey decisions: "He knows how to build a culture of winning."

"And while accountability for this falls on everyone in our organization it starts and it stops with me," the owner said. "We're listening to our fans. We get it and we're doing everything we can to get it right."