Oilers name McDavid's now-former agent Jackson as CEO of Hockey Ops
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The Edmonton Oilers have hired Connor McDavid’s former agent, Jeff Jackson, as their CEO of Hockey Operations, it was announced Thursday morning.
Jackson also represented several other NHL players through the Wasserman agency, including Alex DeBrincat, Aaron Ekblad, Connor Brown and Nathan Bastian.
TSN's Ryan Rishaug tweets the move sounds like it's part of a planned transition that allows Bob Nicholson to dial back his duties. Nicholson currently serves as special advisor, hockey operations.
General manager Ken Holland will continue to serve as team president in addition to general manager, a title he's had since his hiring in May of 2019.
Jackson joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant GM under John Ferguson Jr. in 2006. Four years later, Jackson became a player agent with forward Sam Gagner as his NHL client.
"This is a big commitment to the long-term success of our organization," said OEG Inc. owner and chairman Daryl Katz in a news release. "Jeff has well-established relationships across the NHL, including a strong relationship with Ken Holland. He brings tremendous industry insight, knowledge and leadership built through a unique career experience that is ideal for this leadership role at OEGSE. He understands what it takes to build an elite organization for the modern NHL and will work closely with Ken and our whole team to put the Oilers in the best possible position to win."
"Jeff and I have had a long and fruitful relationship, and I have witnessed his care, relentlessness, and obvious knowledge of the game and industry firsthand," said McDavid in the same release. "I look forward to working with Jeff in his new role, and am excited about what this means for the future of the Oilers.
"I'm excited about this next chapter for me and to continue to be represented by Wasserman on and off the ice, with Judd Moldaver as my agent and Adam Philips, my longtime manager, handling day-to-day matters."
The Oilers are coming off a 109-point regular season, going 50-23-9 to finish second in the Western Conference. They were bounced by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in the second round in the playoffs.