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It's Great To Be Back: Oilers Officially Name Wayne Gretzky To Exec Position

Oilers Entertainment Group yesterday named Wayne Gretzky as Partner & Vice Chair, a "canny corporate move" by Owner Daryl Katz that "finally and perfectly bridges the team's glorious past with what is suddenly a far more hopeful future," according to Dan Barnes of the EDMONTON JOURNAL. Katz said, "This is a day that has been a long time coming. The Oilers family is honoured to welcome Wayne back into an official role with the organization where his legendary career began." He added Gretzky will work with Oilers Vice Chair & CEO Bob Nicholson and himself "on all aspects of OEG business." Katz: "Nothing about this changes the structure of the Edmonton Oilers hockey operations hierarchy. This is [President of Hockey Operations & GM] Peter Chiarelli's team, and he calls the shots." Barnes notes the partnership is a "handshake deal and a work in progress, but Gretzky is clearly happy with the prospects" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 10/13). NHL Network's Elliotte Friedman noted this is "not going to be a hockey role," but rather "more of an ambassadorship role, a business role at this point." Friedman: "It sounds like he's going to be spending a lot more time in Edmonton than we expected, and that's why I'm very curious to see what this role means for the future” (“NHL Now,” NHL Network, 10/12). THE HOCKEY NEWS' Jared Clinton noted Gretzky has "returned to the organization in the past," but this marks the first time since being traded to the Kings in '88 that he has been a "part of the organization in such an official capacity" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 10/12).

ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS: In Edmonton, Jim Matheson notes Gretzky "does have a long history with Nicholson and the Olympics," dating back to when Nicholson was Hockey Canada President & CEO. While the "full-court press from Katz was a few months back, they've talked often over the past several years about a reunion." Gretzky "doesn't know what his role exactly will be, just that he's back." He said, "We'll figure that out as we go along. It's nice to be back on the horse, back with the organization that wants to win the Stanley Cup, an organization that’s headed in the right direction" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 10/13). 

UNDERWHELMING CEREMONY: The Oilers beat the Flames 7-4 in the first regular-season game at Rogers Place, but in Edmonton, Terry Jones writes it was a "decidedly underwhelming opening" for the arena. The C$113M scoreboard and projection system "received a real workout as the show began" prior to the opening face-off, and wristbands "provided to the fans provided a dazzling accompanying multi-colour starlight effect." Gretzky and fellow Hockey HOFer Mark Messier met at center ice and "raised their sticks to the crowd," followed by both the Oilers and Flames "skating out." Jones: That left the crowd thinking that had just been the warmup for the really big show to follow. Except, it never followed" (EDMONTON SUN, 10/13).

NEW HOME WON'T CHANGE EVERYTHING: An EDMONTON JOURNAL editorial states the last decade has "served up a sobering sense of realism to Oilers fans," so how "realistic is it for a team that finished in 29th position (out of 30) last season, to make the leap in a single year?" It would be "foolish to put too much stock in a mere change of scenery." Rogers Place is a "beautiful home base, but it is no magic bullet to what has long ailed the Oilers on-ice" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 10/13).

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