Edmonton Oilers Shake Up Hockey Operations Department Naming Gretzky Assistant GM; Keith Gretzky

The Edmonton Oilers hired a familiar name to become their assistant general manager on Tuesday, as general manager Peter Chiarelli shook up the hockey operations staff.

Keith Gretzky, the younger brother of “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, has been named as the new assistant general manager for the Oilers. The younger Gretzky, will replace Bill Scott in the position. Scott will transition into the position of Director of Salary Cap Management and Assistant to the General Manager.

Gretzky said, “I talked to Wayne as soon as it happened. It is one of those things, the team is on the rise, and to be a part of that is real special, and with it being the Oilers it is extra special.”  

Gretzky, 49, recently served as the Director of Amateur Scouting with the Boston Bruins for the past five seasons. Between 2006 and 2015, he has worked in the Bruins organization in some capacity, or another, under Chiarelli. Prior to that he served in the same capacity with the Arizona Coyotes.

Gretzky added, “I think [Peter] respected what I did, and I worked for him in Boston and the opportunity came along, and he called and asked for permission, and the Bruins were gracious enough to give it to him.”

 

Gretzky was very grateful to Bruins general manager, Don Sweeny and President, Cam Neely for allowing him to pursue the opportunity. 

He said, “I know it was hard for [Boston] and I explained to them that it was a dream-job type of thing and it does not come around too often, and especially being the Oilers and getting to be a part of a team like that with the tradition they have, and I was really, really fortunate Boston was respectful and classy enough to give me this opportunity to talk to Peter.”  

His older brother, Wayne, 55, led the Oilers to four Stanley Cups during his reign as captain in Edmonton. 

The Oilers also named Kelly Buchberger, Vice President of Player Development, while promoting Duane Sutter to Vice President of Player Personnel. 

Buchberger, spent 18 seasons playing in the National Hockey League, 12 with the Oilers. Sutter won four straight Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders, during the 1980’s and coached the Florida Panthers for parts of two seasons as well. 

Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Scott Howson, who also once served as the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, left the Oilers to pursue other options. 

Gretzky said, “I am going to see our prospects in our American Hockey League affiliate, in Bakersfield, get to know what we have there, also spend time in Edmonton and get to know everybody. I will look after the scouting department, pro and amateur, and also get to see the top 40 kids in the draft.”

 

On August 4^th, the Oilers will also begin to the process to move the giant Wayne Gretzky statue that was located outside of Rexall Place, to its new location outside the new Rogers Place. The Oilers will begin play at Rogers Place this fall when the new season begins. 

The statue was first erected outside of Rexall Place, when it was still known as the Northlands Coliseum on August 27, 1989. Before the statue is placed in its new location outside of the Oilers Hall of Fame Room, which will be accessible to the public all year long, it will be refurbished and cleaned.