Edmonton Oilers Announce Front Office Changes

The Edmonton Oilers announced front office changes Tuesday, many of them serving as modifications to the team’s Hockey Operations department.

As reports discussed Monday, the Oilers have named Keith Gretzky as their new Assistant Genueral Manager. He will replace Bill Scott as he becomes the new Oilers Director of Salary Cap Management. Scott will also serve as Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations.

Edmonton also made Kelly Buchberger the Vice President of Player Development, and Duane Sutter has been named the new Vice President of Player Personnel. A new hire includes Andre Brin, who will now serve as the Manager of Hockey Communications and Research,

The Oilers have hired Frank Jay and P.J. Fenton as amateur scouts. Jay previously served as the Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting for the Montréal Canadiens, and Fenton played with the ECHL.

Other Edmonton Oilers promotions include  Shawn May, who will serve as the Manager of Hockey Communications and Media Relations and Justin Mahe, who will now serve as the Manager of Hockey Analysis.

Scott Howson, the former Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, will not be returning, and is going to explore new endeavors. The team officially announced that they did not renew the contract of Tyler Dellow, the former Analytics Consultant.

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These new changes are a good sign for the Oilers. They are taking a step in the right direction by changing the attitude and look of the front office. It would be likely that this could be a turning point, and indicates a true culture change, from the locker room all the way to upper management. Though Craig MacTavish and Kevin Lowe remain on the staff, these new hires should make a difference.