Front Office

Away from the ice, Daryl has committed significant time, energy and capital to make his vision for a revitalized downtown Edmonton a reality. ICE District is an ambitious multi-billion dollar project that is transforming the heart of our downtown into a vibrant, walkable and sustainable sports and entertainment district, with a host of new commercial, residential and public amenities. With Rogers Place now open, and the surrounding ICE District development well underway, we're seeing an exciting rebirth of Edmonton's urban core.  

Daryl was born and raised in Edmonton, and graduated from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law in 1985. Daryl and his wife Renee are proud parents of Harrison and Chloe, co-founders of the Hockey Helps Kids charitable initiative. He also serves on the National Hockey League Board of Governors.

Nicholson joined the Oilers after a long and successful tenure with Hockey Canada, serving as the President and CEO from 1988 to 2014, where he oversaw all operations for competitions Canada participated in internationally, including the IIHF World Hockey Championships and Olympic Winter Games, and has overseen Canada winning 72 medals in international competition since 1990, 44 of which were gold, including seven Olympic gold medals.

Nicholson also served as the Senior Vice President of the Canadian Hockey Association from 1992 to 1998 and Vice President of Programs with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1990 to 1991. He has been heavily involved with international hockey, serving on the International Ice Hockey Federation's Player Safety Committee and currently holds the position of Vice President of the International Ice Hockey Federation which he was re-elected to in May 2016.

Before joining the national body, Nicholson was Technical Director with the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association from 1979 to 1989. He was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. He played minor hockey and Junior A hockey in Penticton, helping the Penticton Broncos win the BCJHL and B.C.-Alberta championships, and also played NCAA hockey at Providence College in Rhode Island. Bob was awarded the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2016 for his outstanding contribution to the game of hockey in Canada.

"With Bob leading our hockey clubs and Tom leading our business operations we have a powerhouse combination as we continue to build an elite organization in all aspects of what we do," said Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz. "This is an exciting time for our company and the city, and we are full of optimism about the Edmonton Oilers and ICE District hitting full stride in the very near future."

"We are excited to have Tom join OEG as our new President and COO, and for Bob to assume this important new role," said Katz Group CEO Jürgen Schreiber. "We are poised for significant growth in our sports and entertainment business as ICE District opens here in Edmonton and we have emerging new, global opportunities in front of us. We have a seasoned, top-notch management team and staff to deliver on Daryl's vision of OEG as a global leader in sports and entertainment."
 
"It is fantastic news for OEG and the city to have an executive of Tom's calibre coming to Edmonton," said Oilers Chairman Bob Nicholson. "This move will help us in all aspects of our operations - both in hockey and business. It also positions us for this exciting next chapter for the Oilers, Oil Kings, Condors, Oilers Entertainment Group and ICE District."
 
"I'm thrilled to be joining OEG. It's an honour to be asked to lead the business as we embark on an exciting new era for the team and the organization," said President, Business Operations & COO Tom Anselmi.

Gretzky has held many notable management positions with Hockey Canada, including serving as a Senior Advisor for the men's hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning a gold medal. He also held senior management positions with Team Canada at the Olympic Games, including serving as Canada's Executive Director at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino and winning a gold medal as Canada's Executive Director at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He also received the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee for outstanding contributions to the game of hockey in 2002. Gretzky captured gold at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey as Canada's Executive Director and served as Canada's Executive Director at the 2001 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Germany.

The Brantford, Ontario native enjoyed a 20-year Hall of Fame career and at the time of his retirement, he held or shared 61 NHL records. Gretzky is the NHL's all-time leader in goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857), as well as the all-time leader in playoff goals (122), playoff assists (260) and playoff points (382) and is the only player to record 200 or more points in an NHL season, reaching the mark four times (1981-82, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86). Gretzky played nine seasons for the Edmonton Oilers (1979-88), winning four Stanley Cups (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988), as well as suiting up for the Los Angeles Kings (1988-96), St. Louis Blues (1996) and New York Rangers (1996-99).

Gretzky is the most decorated player in NHL history which includes: winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player a record nine times (1980-87, 1989), the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer 10 times (1981-87, 1990-91, 1994), the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP twice (1985, 1988), the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player five times (1980, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999), the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's most valuable player, as voted on by the players, five times (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987) and MVP of the NHL All-Star Game three times (1983, 1989, 1999). He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team eight times (1981-87, 1991) and is the only player in NHL history to have his number retired league-wide, after retiring from the NHL as a player on April 15, 1999.  

In the fall of 1999, he became the 10th player to have the mandatory three-year waiting period waved for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Gretzky was also inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2000.

Following his retirement as a player, Gretzky served as Head Coach and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes from June 2000 through September 2009.

In 2016-17, Gretzky was named as one of the NHL's top 100 players of all-time and also served as the official ambassador for the league's centennial celebrations.

Internationally, Gretzky represented Canada as a player on eight occasions and was the leading scorer in six of his eight international appearances. His final international appearance for Canada as a player was at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano. He played for Canada in four Canada Cups (1981, 1984, 1987, 1991), one World Cup (1996), one World Championship (1982) and one World Junior Championship (1978).

Gretzky captained Canada at the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup, as well as the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. He was named to the All-Star team and tournament MVP at the 1987 Canada Cup, posting 21 points (3G, 18A) in nine games, and winning the tournament. He won the 1984 Canada Cup with Canada, and was named to the All-Star Team.

Gretzky won a bronze medal with Canada at the 1982 IIHF World Hockey Championship and was named to the tournament All-Star Team. In his first international appearance for Canada, he won a bronze medal with Canada at the 1978 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and was named the tournament's Top Forward and named to the tournament All-Star Team; he was the first 16-year-old to represent Canada at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.

Wayne and his wife Janet have five children, daughters Paulina and Emma and sons Ty, Trevor and Tristan. He is a grandfather of two, Tatum and River, born to his daughter Paulina and her fiancé, golfer Dustin Johnson.
Gretzky is in business with his son Ty, who founded Gretzky Hockey Schools in 2014, and recently expanded his wine business, Wayne Gretzky Estates, to produce his own house brand of whisky, called Wayne Gretzky Red Cask Whisky.

He created the Wayne Gretzky Foundation, which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged youngsters throughout North America to participate in hockey. In collaboration with the Hockey Canada Foundation, the Wayne Gretzky Foundation funds the Future Team Canada Program which rewards and recognizes 13 minor hockey teams across the country for displaying positive values. He also serves as Honorary Chairman of Ronald McDonald Children's Charities in Canada.

Gretzky was presented with the Order of Canada in January 1998 and was one of the five inaugural honourees into the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2012.

A new era in Oilers' history was ushered in when Lowe was named to the position of General Manager on June 9, 2000. With the announcement, the first-ever draft pick in Oilers' history replaced Glen Sather, who held the position since June of 1979. Lowe's appointment came a year after he was named Head Coach of the Oilers on June 18, 1999. Over those years the team's payroll was annually near the bottom of the league however the team was a league leader in dollars spent for points earned in standings including many playoff appearances. As GM, he became one of only 40 general managers in the history of the NHL to get his team to the Stanley Cup finals in 2006, losing in game seven to the Carolina Hurricanes.

It took the popular Lowe only three seasons from his retirement from the game as a player to make his way to the position of General Manager. After a brilliant playing career in the National Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers, Lowe announced his retirement from the game on July 30, 1998 and joined the coaching ranks as he served as an assistant coach with Ron Low's Edmonton staff in 1998-99.

The 1999-00 season saw Lowe become the seventh head coach in Oilers history. In his lone season behind the Edmonton bench, Lowe guided the Oilers to a second place finish in the Northwest Division with a 32-26-16-8 record, only eight points behind the first place Colorado Avalanche, and a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Lowe's expertise has also translated into success for Team Canada on the international stage. On November 8, 2000, Lowe was named as Assistant Executive Director of Canada Olympic Hockey for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Working with former teammate Wayne Gretzky, Team Canada's Executive Director, head coach Pat Quinn and Director of Player Personnel, Steve Tambellini, Lowe helped put together a team of NHL players that won the Olympic gold medal for Canada for the first time in 50 years. A 5-2 victory over the United States in the gold medal final on February 24, 2002 saw Team Canada become the first Canadian squad to win Olympic gold since the Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys won at Oslo, Norway in 1952. He reprised that role with Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy and was a member of Team Canada's management team that put together the gold medal winning roster at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. Lowe, along with Doug Armstrong and Ken Holland, assisted General Manager Steve Yzerman to help guide Canada's Olympic Team to another historic gold medal victory in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Lowe once again represented his country as a part of Team Canada's management team at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where Canada won gold again. 

Lowe was the Oilers' first-ever draft pick when he was selected 21st overall in the 1979 NHL Amateur Draft on August 9, 1979. During 19 seasons in the NHL, including 15 as an Oiler, Lowe played in 1,254 regular season games and 214 playoff games, winning six Stanley Cup championships. The first five Cup championships came with Edmonton as he was a member of each of the Oilers' titles in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 and was followed by a sixth with the New York Rangers in 1994. In his 15 seasons with Edmonton, the Oilers never failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Lowe in the lineup. In fact, Lowe only missed post-season play once in his 19-year career as New York missed the 1992-93 playoffs during his first season in Manhattan.

Besides being the first draft choice in Oilers' history, Lowe also scored the first goal in team history as he beat Tony Esposito at 9:49 of the first period in Edmonton's first NHL game on October 10, 1979, at Chicago Stadium. The goal launched a career that saw him play for 19 seasons without spending a day in the minors. That goal was also assisted by Wayne Gretzky, marking the "Great One's" first ever point in the NHL.

Lowe holds the Oilers' record for most games played in both the regular season (1,037) and playoffs (172) and is one of only 45 players in NHL history to have played in 1,000 games with one franchise. He also ranks among Edmonton's all-time leaders as he is eighth in assists (309), 11th in points (383) and third in penalty minutes (1,236).

He became the sixth captain in Oilers' history in 1990-91, fulfilling the promise of his junior career that saw him named the first Anglo-Canadian captain of the Quebec Remparts.

On the international stage, he represented Canada at the 1982 World Championships and was a member of Team Canada that won the 1984 Canada Cup. He also played in seven NHL All-Star Games (1984-86, 1988-90, 1993).

Off the ice, he was no less of a leader. In 1990, Lowe became the only player to win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Budweiser/NHL Man of the Year Award in the same season. Both awards are presented for leadership qualities and humanitarian contributions. He was also the Oilers' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy that season. His work with the Edmonton Christmas Bureau has set the standard for the Oilers' commitment to community involvement. He was the Honorary Chair from 1982-83 to 1991-92 and Honorary Co-Chair from 2005 to present.

Lowe, has a son, Shane, and he and his wife Karen, a two-time Olympic alpine skiing bronze medal winner for Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, have three daughters - Devyn, Darby and Karly - and a son, Keegan, who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 3rd round, 73rd overall, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Kevin and Karen are supporters of SwimDrinkFish Canada, the Waterkeeper Alliance and Zebra Society. 

MacDonald began his professional career in 1981 with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, where he served as the club's Director of Marketing and Publicity. In 1987 he joined the Oilers where he played a leading role as the organization's Director of Marketing for over a decade. In 1998 he was named Chief Operating Officer of the American Hockey League's Saint John Flames and guided the club for five seasons. 

The sports industry veteran rejoined the Oilers organization temporarily in 2003 as a member of the project team for the Molson Canadian Heritage Classic outdoor game, and then on a permanent basis in 2004 when he was appointed President of the Edmonton Road Runners Hockey Club. In 2005, he was named the Oilers Vice President of Marketing, and in 2006 he assumed his current duties. 

Among the highlights of MacDonald's career are three Stanley Cup Championships ('87, '88, '90), an AHL Championship ('01) and a WHL Championship ('12). 

MacDonald holds a Diploma in Sports Administration from Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. He and his wife Sheila reside near downtown Edmonton.