The Oilers have hired the longtime Red Wings executive Ken Holland as their new general manger, the team announced Tuesday.
The #Oilers have named Ken Holland as General Manager & President of Hockey Operations. pic.twitter.com/3n1sTBiy4o
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 7, 2019
TSN's Darren Dreger reported the deal with the Oilers is for five years at $5 million per year.
In his first official move in Edmonton, as if to confirm owner Daryl Katz's assertion that Holland will have "full autonomy" as GM, Holland announced that Ken Hitchcock would not be back as the team's coach.
Ken Holland says Ken Hitchcock will not return as head coach of the Oilers in 2019-20.
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) May 7, 2019
The NHL's third-winningest coach, Hitchcock, 67, came out of retirement Nov. 20 when Todd McLellan was fired. Hitchcock went 26-28-8 in 62 games after taking over.
Holland, 63, has been with the Red Wings for 36 years. Initially selected by the Maple Leafs in the 12th round of the 1975 NHL Entry Draft, he played just four games in the league, three of them for Detroit. He then joined the Red Wings as a scout in 1985 before working his way through various jobs within the organization.
He served as the team’s director of amateur scouting (1989-94) and assistant general manager (1994-97) before being named general manager in 1997.
During Holland's time as GM, the Red Wings claimed three Stanley Cups, won more regular-season games (925) than any other team and ranked second in playoff wins (119) among contenders.
He's in for a big change of scenery in Edmonton, as Holland joins an Oilers team that has missed the playoffs 12 of the last 13 seasons despite being bolstered by the addition of 2015 No. 1 overall pick Connor McDavid.