The Edmonton Oilers have two new members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Edmonton Oilers weren’t expecting to get any new Hall of Famers in the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame class, but Wednesday found them pleasantly surprised. Two members of the class are tied to the Oilers.
First, there’s current general manager Ken Holland. He’s best known for his time with the Detroit Red Wings. Holland has won four Stanley Cups, with three of them coming as their general manager. He helped build one of the NHL’s great dynasties in the mid-1990s to late-2000s Red Wings.
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Holland has also helped the Oilers turn around their franchise. He was hired by them last summer and through some smart moves from Holland, they’re back in the postseason for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Also, Holland has served as the assistant general manager for two gold medal-winning squads for Team Canada in 2010 and 2014. He was also an assistant general manager for the 2016 gold medal-winning Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey.
Holland wasn’t totally unexpected, as he’s one of the most successful general managers in recent history. But the Hall of Fame is a bit unpredictable with builders since they can be enshrined before they retire.
Holland isn’t even the only active general manager in the Hall of Fame. There’s also Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders and Jim Rutherford of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Technically, there’s also Doug Wilson of the San Jose Sharks, though he got in this year because of his time as a player, not as a builder.
The bigger surprise was Kevin Lowe. Lowe never won any major awards other than the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. However, he was still a very important cog in the Oilers’ 1980s dynasty. Lowe was known for his steady defensive play more than his production. His selection is a bit unexpected because this year’s class was pretty deep with forwards.
Though Lowe’s selection is a bit controversial, the Oilers dynasty will have the chance to induct yet another member into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This could also speed up the process of getting Lowe’s number four officially retired.
The other members of this year’s class are Jarome Iginla, Doug Wilson, Marian Hossa, and women’s hockey goaltender Kim St-Pierre.
It certainly wasn’t expected, but the Oilers are going to have a strong showing in the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame induction night with Lowe and Holland.