The newly formed Oilers Entertainment Group on Friday named former Hockey Canada President & CEO Bob Nicholson Vice Chair, making him "second-in-command" to Oilers Owner Daryl Katz, according to John MacKinnon of the EDMONTON JOURNAL. Nicholson is now the man "tasked with executing Katz’s much-touted, but so-far mysterious over-arching vision for Rogers Place." He "spent the early years of his 16-year tenure" with Hockey Canada "on the hockey operations side of things." But as Hockey Canada "has leveraged its already powerful brand over the past decade and a half, Nicholson devoted more and more time to the business side of the sport governing body" (EDMONTONJOURNAL.com, 6/13). MacKinnon wrote it was "clear at his introductory news conference that Nicholson will work with Kevin Lowe, who also holds the vice-chairman title but remains the head of Oilers hockey operations, and Patrick LaForge, the president and chief operating officer of OEG, the key operations man on the business side." Nicholson's top priority is "realizing the owner’s plans for the under-construction Rogers Place, the downtown arena district that will surround it, and all the properties" in Katz' sports and entertainment portfolio. The "details of Nicholson’s panoramic mandate" for the arena "were only sketchily explained" at the news conference. But MacKinnon writes, "Think AEG." Edmonton's new arena, the adjacent community rink, the Winter Garden and much else "will be where Katz’s multi-faceted vision will unfold" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 6/14).
BETWEEN THE LINES: In Edmonton, Terry Jones wrote hiring Nicholson "makes statements in several different directions." The move says that Katz "is not content to be satisfied with owning the Oilers, a junior team and a pair of minor league teams," and running Rogers Place, "and leave it at that." It says that he "wants to add to the sports entertainment holdings here and elsewhere, and to transfer to some extent what he has going here to other markets." OEG VP/Communications Tim Shipton said the new company also was created to "secure major new sponsorships and events." Shipton: "Its mission will be to build the group’s sports and entertainment offerings." But Nicholson "was also low on details." He said, "It’s going to be a big vision. We’re going to look at all different opportunities to build this new organization to another level. It’s going to be something special for everyone here. There’s going to be huge growth here and it’s going to be very, very special to this city, this province and this country" (EDMONTON SUN, 6/14). SPORTSNET's Mark Spector wrote the move "doesn’t make the Oilers any worse on the ice, but it doesn’t necessarily make them any better there either" (SPORTSNET.ca, 6/13).
