After five seasons as the Edmonton Oilers' general manager and president of hockey operations, and just days after a crushing Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers, Ken Holland will not be returning to the organization, confirmed CEO Jeff Jackson on Thursday.
“The Edmonton Oilers and Ken Holland have mutually agreed that his contract will not be extended beyond the end of its current term,” Jackson said in a statement. “Over the past five seasons as General Manager, Ken has not only built the Edmonton Oilers into one of the NHL's best teams, he has also established a deeply rooted foundation of success and a culture of winning that will continue well into the future.
“Thanks in large part to Ken's outstanding work, Edmonton has become a destination city for players around the National Hockey League. We wish Ken, Cindi and his entire family the very best and thank him for his leadership and contributions to the Oilers organization and the City of Edmonton.”
Holland's contract will officially expire on June 30, and he will now be free to talk to other teams. But that hasn't happened yet, at least according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
“Ken Holland officially told the Oilers yesterday that he will not return to the team next season in any capacity. And while Holland is now free to talk to other teams, he has not yet done so and is expected to take some time before deciding what his next move will be,” the hockey insider reported on Thursday.
Holland was named the GM and president of hockey operations in May of 2019; the team went 220-121-32 under his leadership, with four playoff appearances in five seasons and one trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The 68-year-old is a four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Detroit Red Wings, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020.
While the news will likely be disappointing to the Oilers, the team is continuing to reckon with Monday night's Game 7 loss to the Panthers.
Oilers still reeling from Game 7 defeat
Edmonton was oh-so-close to winning its first championship since 1990, coming all the way back from 3-0 down to force a decisive seventh game. But it wasn't to be for Connor McDavid's club, who lost 2-1 in Game 7 and remain without a championship under his leadership.
“Proud of the way we fought all year. Behind the eight ball almost immediately. We fought an uphill climb for months and months and months,” McDavid said shortly after the loss. “[This] just sucks. We never stopped believing. We really believed we were going to get one. Lots of looks. It just didn't go.”
With most of the core set to return next year, there's a chance the Oilers can make another run in a wide-open Western Conference. But the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in sports to win, and it'll take a long time for this team to get over what might have been in Game 7.
The search now begins for a new president and GM to help in the ongoing quest of bringing a Stanley Cup back to Canada.
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