Ricky O. enters his seventh season in the Vice President & Assistant General Manager roles with the Kraken and serves as the Kraken’s lead expert on contract negotiations, managing the salary cap, and the NHL collective bargaining agreement. Previously, Olczyk was the Assistant GM to Ron Francis for four years in Carolina, where he played an integral role in transforming the player development system from the lower third to a top third team across the NHL. He was a driving force in founding Oklahoma City’s AHL franchise when he was the Assistant GM for the Edmonton Oilers (seven seasons). At the 2016 World Cup, as Assistant GM he was a key member of the management team for Team Europe, which won silver after a tight best-of-three final vs. Canada.