Oilers hire Jackson, McDavid's agent, as CEO of hockey operations

EDMONTON -- Jeff Jackson is going from negotiating on behalf of Connor McDavid to working on keeping the Edmonton Oilers captain beyond the three years left on his contract.

Jackson, McDavid's longtime agent, was hired by the Oilers as CEO of hockey operations Thursday. He left Wasserman Hockey, the agency he launched in 2010 with former Edmonton forward Sam Gagner as his first NHL client, to take the position.

Jackson will report directly to Oilers owner Daryl Katz and serve as an alternate governor on the NHL Board of Governors. Jackson will oversee all aspects of the Oilers Entertainment Group hockey operations, which include Bakersfield of the American Hockey League and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. Jackson replaces Bob Nicholson, who will stay on as a special adviser.

Ken Holland will continue his role as Oilers president of hockey operations and general manager. Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey, who has been a special adviser to Katz for more than a year, will assist Jackson.

"Who is this room doesn't want him (McDavid) to be an Oiler for life? I think at the end of the day, Connor has three years left on his deal; him, Leon (Draisaitl), 'Nuge' (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins), 'Nursey' (Darnell Nurse), they're all striving to win," Jackson said. "That's going to be the biggest driver.

"I have a very close relationship with Connor. It's going to be a different relationship now, but I think ultimately the goal is to keep this team, the core group, together and I think there is a lot of runway for success for a number of years."

McDavid, a center, has 850 points (303 goals, 547 assists) in 569 games since being selected by Edmonton with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Jackson had represented McDavid since he was a 15-year-old in the Ontario Hockey League, when he was granted exceptional player status to play for Erie.

Jackson negotiated the eight year, $100-million contract ($12.5 million average annual value) McDavid signed July 5, 2017. It expires after the 2025-26 season.

"I didn't go to Connor and told him I was doing this, I called him, and we talked about it," Jackson said. "It's a unique opportunity. I don't think I would have gone anywhere else; I wasn't looking to leave the agent business, I was at an awesome agency in Wasserman, great colleagues in the hockey department, great colleagues throughout that agency."

McDavid won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for the third time last season, and the Art Ross Trophy as the League's top scorer for the fourth time. He had 153 points (64 goals, 89 assists) in 82 regular-season games and 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Edmonton was eliminated in the Western Conference Second Round by the Vegas Golden Knights, who went on to win the Cup.

A former NHL forward, Jackson, 58, had 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in 263 NHL games over eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques and Chicago Blackhawks. He was assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the Maple Leafs from 2006-10.

"The fact that Connor was involved, and the team that Kenny's put together and is on the verge of, I think, great things, so I talked to Connor about it," Jackson said. "He said that I should talk to Daryl and that he thought I would be great at the job, and he was with me."

McDavid said he will continue to be represented by Wasserman Hockey, with Judd Moldaver acting as his agent and Adam Philips as his manager.

"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," McDavid said. "I look forward to working with Jeff in his new role and am excited about what this means for the future of the Oilers."

Jackson said he was approached by Coffey and Katz prior to the 2023 NHL Draft, which took place in Nashville on June 28-29. Once Jackson got through the free agency period with his clients starting July 1, he began discussions in regards the CEO position with the Oilers.

Wasserman represents over 100 NHL players, including Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou, Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat, Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki and Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz.

"I have tremendous respect for Jeff, and I'm excited about this upcoming year," said Holland, who is entering the final season of a five-year contract with Edmonton. "I'm excited about building a relationship with Jeff, I'm excited about the team. I'll worry about my future down the road.

"For me, it's all about this team and this year, and then we'll assess. Jeff and I have talked a lot over the last few years, and I'm excited to work with Jeff."

Photos courtesy: Andy Devlin/Edmonton Oilers