LATEST UPDATE: Jeff Jackson begins search for new GM after Holland departure

Jackson praised Holland’s efforts, noting in particular the 2023 trade for Mattias Ekholm and the addition of Zach Hyman, a free agent from Toronto.

After the Hall of Famer’s five years here, Jeff Jackson, who was hired this summer to oversee hockey operations for the Edmonton Oilers, says he had a terrific working relationship with his general manager, Ken Holland, and the departure was amicable.

Holland, 68, was not violently removed from his home or made to scream.

Jackson stated in a Thursday Zoom session, “Ken and I met yesterday (Wednesday) to formalize a discussion that had been ongoing during the season.”
Jackson stated in a Thursday Zoom session, “Ken and I met yesterday (Wednesday) to formalize a discussion that had been ongoing during the season.”

For Ken and me, it comes as no surprise that we both agreed that this was the right course of action. He was all set to go. Yesterday, Ken and I had a fantastic hour-long talk during which we laughed a lot and reminisced over the season’s events. We now proceed.

Though Jackson claims that if there was no specific succession plan in place, Holland and he were on the same wave length during the season, Holland was not offered a contract extension before or after the Oilers lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida.
“When I was employed, we kind of came to an agreement on this. Jackson remarked, “Ken had one year remaining. We would work closely together, had a terrific relationship, and were highly collaborative. It was mentioned that he desired this. “You probably want to have your own guy,” he remarked.

That’s how we did things this year; it was all out. Kenny was really focused. He has been in this league for thirty years, and there was never a moment when he wasn’t doing it. Up to the very end, the pudding served as the proof. Fantastic work,” Jackson exclaimed, adding that there were no team distractions as both parties wished to maintain the GM plan in the background. Jackson was undoubtedly not picking up any phones.