EDMONTON - Bob Nicholson presided over a changing of the Edmonton Oilers’ old guard Friday, installing Peter Chiarelli as president of hockey operations and general manager and signalling to the NHL club’s passionate fans that owner Daryl Katz is committed to on-ice excellence, after all.
After nine straight non-playoff seasons, plenty of fans had serious doubts, convinced that a debilitating cronyism was inseparable from Katz’s larger vision. Not to mention an impediment to its success.
But by hiring Chiarelli as the clear authority in hockey operations, replacing incumbent GM Craig MacTavish, and dismissing longtime club president and Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) chief operating officer Patrick LaForge, Nicholson has remade the club’s senior leadership.