Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson discloses reason behind abstaining from permanent General Manager role

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Jul 17, 2024 04:58 GMT

Following the departure of Ken Holland, Oilers' CEO Jeff Jackson has been extensively involved in running all levels of operations within the organization, including financial matters, player transactions, trades, and relations with the media.

Holland and the Oilers agreed mutually to go their separate ways, ending his five-year run as GM from 2019 to 2024. With Holland at the helm, the team came close to winning the Stanley Cup this year, making it to the final but falling short of the championship in Game 7.

During an episode of "The Bob McCown Podcast," Jeff Jackson opened up about his decision to refrain from taking on the permanent GM position with the Oilers.

"Yeah, no, that's, you know, I was hired to sort of be in the CEO-President role. Obviously, you know, at the time, around the draft and through free agency, and currently, I've had to step into that void and work with our staff, which has been great. But I don't want to be the general manager," he said.

"I'm an active, I guess, CEO, so I'm involved in the day-to-day, but I think that being with the team on a daily basis, like a GM has to do, sort of doesn't work for me and my family. That was a discussion I had with Daryl Katz from the get-go.," he added.

Jackson was appointed by the Edmonton Oilers as CEO of hockey operations in August last year. He also had a brief eight-year NHL career in which he played for the likes of the Quebec Nordiques, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Jeff Jackson and Oilers could announce new GM soon

Jeff Jackson and the Oilers are actively searching for the ideal candidate to succeed Ken Holland as GM. In a recent update on "The Bob McCown Podcast," Jackson hinted that the process of finding a new GM is nearing its conclusion.

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He mentioned that the official announcement regarding this pivotal appointment could be made within the next week or so, indicating an imminent solution to this crucial decision-making process.

The Edmonton Oilers kick off their 2024-25 season against the Winnipeg Jets in October. It will be interesting to see who they bring in as new GM before the season starts.