Dear Ken Holland, thank you for assembling a team that was good enough to come within a victory of winning the championship. But we're moving on. Love, the Edmonton Oilers.
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That's probably not how it went down, but the Oilers and Holland are indeed parting ways, less than a week after the Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup finals, only to drop Game 7 to the eventual champion Florida Panthers.
The Oilers opted not to extend Holland's contract, and the decision was mutual, per Edmonton CEO Jeff Jackson.
"Over the past five seasons as general manager, Ken has not only built the Edmonton Oilers into one of the NHL's best teams, but he has also established a deeply rooted foundation of success and a culture of winning that will continue well into the future," Jackson said in a statement Thursday. "Thanks in large part for Ken's outstanding work, Edmonton has become a destination city for players around the National Hockey League."
Interestingly, Holland's status with the team had been speculated on for most all of the season — including during Edmonton's playoff run.
"Before joining the Oilers in May 2019, the 68-year-old Holland had been with the Detroit Red Wings for 34 seasons in numerous roles, including general manager since the 1997-98 season. The team would win three Stanley Cups with Holland, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020.
"He left the Red Wings after he'd been promoted to senior vice president in a move that allowed Detroit to name then-Tampa Bay Lightning GM and former captain Steve Yzerman as its GM."
Now, Holland is looking for work. He may or may not want to return to oversee another team, reports suggest.
"Whomever the Oilers hire to take over from Holland will inherit a roster that's still within its championship window,' Clark wrote. "But there are several items to address as free agency commences Monday."
