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EDMONTON -- Former Hockey Canada top executive Bob Nicholson is joining the Edmonton Oilers to oversee business operations, promising to take a scalpel -- not a bulldozer -- to the struggling NHL franchise. "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today. "There are huge challenges, but I think there could be something very special in this city." Oilers owner Daryl Katz was not at the news conference, a not unusual occurrence for the reclusive pharmacy magnate. Nicholsons hiring is part of a corporate reorganization for Katzs sports entertainment properties. Under the newly named Oilers Entertainment Group, or OEG, Katz will be chairman while former Oiler Kevin Lowe and Nicholson will be vice-chairmen. Lowe will continue to be in charge of hockey operations while Nicholson will handle the business side -- but both said they expect the other to help out across the board. Patrick LaForge remains in charge of day-to-day business operations as president and chief operating officer. Nicholson spent 16 years as president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada, officially stepping down May 31. Canadian hockey teams excelled under his watch, winning numerous championships including seven Olympic gold medals. Lowe and Nicholson worked closely on Canadas Olympic teams, and Nicholson said that relationship was a key reason he signed up with the Oilers. "The relationship that I have with Kevin, and the one that Ive really developed with Daryl over the last little bit, had a big part," said Nicholson. "I had a great job with Hockey Canada. I didnt have to rush into anything. I was going to play a little more golf. "But when you get a chance to work with the right people in the right organization, the time was right to join the Oilers." Lowe said Nicholson has already started delivering ideas on the hockey side. "Yesterday Bob sat in on pro scouting meetings and was engaged with the scouts," said Lowe. "Hell be as involved as much as we can get him, and I know that will be a massive addition to this organization. "Hes as passionate about fixing the Oilers as we all are." In addition to the Oilers, OEG owns the 2014 Memorial Cup Champion Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) and the Bakersfield Condors (ECHL). Lowe said more franchises are part of the long-term game plan. "Hopefully well acquire more in the future years," he said. "(Im) not predicting anything, but we know that our owner has great vision." The Oilers and the City of Edmonton have also broken ground on a new downtown arena that is slated to open for the start of the 2016-17 season. Nicholson joins a franchise and a fan base desperate for success. The Oilers have missed the playoffs every year since advancing to the Stanley Cup final in 2006. The team has been criticized for sub par scouting and poor player development, failing to rebuild the team despite having three of the last four first-overall draft picks. Other changes are underway. Earlier this week, the team announced Craig Ramsay will join Dallas Eakins coaching staff to handle the defence and power play. Assistant coach Kelly Buchberger will move over to player development. wholesale nfl jerseys . - The Pittsburgh Pirates plan on keeping promising left fielder Starling Marte playing alongside National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for years to come. cheap nfl jerseys . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. http://www.overallcheapjerseys.com/. It was my fifth straight year attending and, as always, there are many interesting matters discussed as it pertains to the use of statistics in sports. cheap jerseys . Peter Dawson took his long before he started the job. "I was playing an American one year at Oxford Golf Club, and he introduced me to this travelling mulligan," Dawson said. cheap jerseys From China . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night.SUNRISE, Fla. -- Florida coach Peter Horachek found beating his old team very satisfying -- even after the Panthers made it more difficult than it shouldve been. Tomas Kopecky scored the winner in the sixth round of a shootout, and the Panthers beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 on Saturday night after wasting a two-goal lead late in the third period. Kopeckys shot went past Marek Mazanec high on the glove side, improving Floridas record in shootouts to 5-5. Horachek was an assistant coach at Nashville from 2003-2013 before being fired after last season. He became coach of the Panthers AHL affiliate in San Antonio before taking over the Panthers as interim coach after Kevin Dineen was fired on Nov. 8. "It wasnt pretty, but it felt pretty good. You wanted to win against your former team," Horachek said. "We hung in there and we hung in there, even giving up the two goals, let them tie it up. The guys stayed on point and we eventually got the other point." Jonathan Huberdeau scored the first goal in the shootout for Florida. Kopecky also scored in regulation and Marcel Goc, Sean Bergenheim and Brad Boyes also scored for the Panthers. Tim Thomas made 38 saves in his second start after missing eight games due to a groin injury. Florida won for just the second time in six games. Thomas stopped five shots in the shootout after his team blew a two-goal lead. "You never want to go that route, but if youre there, you might as well get the two points," Thomas said. David Legwand scored in the shootout for Nashville. Paul Gaustad, Seth Jones, Mike Fisher and Craig Smith scored in regulation. Mazanec stopped 25 shots. Nashville is 0-4 in shootouts this season and 0-17-2 when trailing after two periods. Their last shootout win was on Feb. 2, 2013, at San Jose. The Predators scored twice in the last 5:08 to send the game into overtime. Gaustad tied the game at 4 with 47.1 seconds left when he swept in a puck drifting through the crease behind Thomas. Nashville closed within one on Jones goal with 5:08 left. His wrist shot from the high slot went past Thomas for his first goal in 20 games. "If youre down by one goal it doesnt give you any points. Youve got to go for it and tonight we were fortunate enough to get that," Gaustad said. The Predators appeared to be in control in overtimes but couldnt convert. "I didnt like the goals we gave up. They were too easy," Predators coach Barryy Trotz said.dddddddddddd. "But talk about a character way to come back, there was great character on the bench, there was great push, we got that tied up and I thought we played pretty well in the overtime." Panthers captain Ed Jovanovski made his return to the lineup for the first time since March 13, 2013. The 37-year-old Jovanovski underwent hip surgery and missed 83 games since the sixth game of last season. Jovanovski came into the game 1:20 and had 15:54 of total ice time and was on the ice for three goals. "Good just being with the guys being able to celebrate a goal," Jovanovski said. "Theyre big goals during the game. We made it closer than we wanted to, but we found a way to come out with two points and thats important." Leading 3-2, Florida stretched its lead early in the third. Huberdeau grabbed the puck behind the net and passed it to Goc in front. His shot beat Mazanec on the stick side at 1:34. Trailing 2-1, Fisher tied it with 3:28 left in the second. He took a nice drop pass from Colin Wilson low in the right circle and rifled the puck past Thomas. The Panthers reclaimed the lead a little more than 30 seconds later. Bergenheim wristed the puck into the net on the far side after getting a pass from Barkov to make it 3-2. Barkov has 11 points in his past 11 games. Kopecky broke a 1-1 tie with 2:04 left in the first. The puck bounced off the skate of Nashvilles Mattias Ekholm behind the net and out to Kopecky in front. He pushed the puck past Mazanec for his first goal in five games. The Predators took the early lead on Smiths goal at 6:32 of the first. The puck came out from behind the net to traffic in front. Smith found the puck behind the scrum and poked it past Thomas. Smith has six goals in his last eight games and leads the team with 12. The Panthers tied it on Boyes goal. Barkov took a shot that was blocked but Boyes jammed the rebound under Mazanecs pads at 11:03. Boyes leads the Panthers with 11 goals. NOTES: Smith has eight points in eight games and 16 points in his last 20 games. ... Fisher has nine points in his past four games. ... Jovanovski was the Panthers first overall draft pick in 1994 and a key player in their 1996 Stanley Cup finalist team. Jovanovski, a five-time All Star, was traded to Vancouver in 1999 but was brought back to the Panthers in July 2011 under a four-year contract. ... Panthers winger Scottie Upshall returned after missing his last three games with an upper-body injury. ' ' '