Former Oilers GM Ken Holland relishing NHL gig, but ‘not sure I enjoy a stress-free existence’

MANALAPAN, Fla. — Amid the controlled chaos of the NHL’s Situation Room last Thursday night, Ken Holland sat back and took it all in as the Hockey Operations group in front of him scurried to make a ruling on Colton Parayko’s controversial overtime winner, which lifted the St. Louis Blues past the Calgary Flames.

The game loggers, the heartbeat of the Situation Room, ran through all of the necessary views on the array of screens. The managers and the officiating manager worked down their checklists.

When all the necessary viewpoints and rules were examined, NHL senior executive vice president Colin Campbell – the boss – stepped to the microphone, made the ruling and informed the on-ice officials.

“It was amazing to watch it all come together,” Holland said.

Parayko’s contact with Dan Vladar’s outstretched pad was deemed legal after a four-minute and 45-second review. The Scotiabank Saddledome was incensed, after sitting on pins and needles, and went home unhappy. That’s life.

For Holland, who joined the league’s Hockey Operations department as consultant last month after 27 consecutive years as a general manager, it was a reminder of just how different life is now – and how he’s no longer the boss.

“That would have been me,” Holland said Tuesday at the NHL’s bi-annual Board of Governors meeting. “I think about it like on trade deadline day. You take in all of the info from your scouts and your coaching staff and your executives and then you make a decision. That’s Colin’s job now.”

Admittedly, Holland still isn’t quite sure what to make of the big life change. He is closing in on his 70th birthday. He’s enjoyed spending more time with his wife, Cindi, and their children and grandchildren. And he’s definitely thankful for the opportunity to still have a hand in the game.

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to continue to be around the league,” Holland said. “This gets me out of the house a little bit, but also keeps me in the game.”

It’s also provided a much different perspective.

“When you’re a manager, you tend to only see things from one direction, and now I see things both ways,” Holland explained. It’s been good for me, from a different perspective. I’m used to sitting in the press box, a flag is thrown, and then the ref comes out and gives you the verdict. Now I’m on the back side and there’s many going on at once and there is a checklist and how quickly and methodically they work through it. It’s really good for me to see that play out live.”

Holland’s gig with the NHL is flexible. Last week, he spent three consecutive nights in the Situation Room in Toronto after commuting in from his British Columbia home. It’s a hockey smorgasbord from every different angle using the latest technology.

“Nine hours of just screens, just watching hockey,” Holland said, smiling.

When he’s not in the Situation Room, he’s available to Campbell to bounce ideas off. For Holland, the perspective is as different as the pace.

Year in and year out, since the mid-1980s, the rhythm of the season has been the same. Whether it was as scout, director of amateur scouting, assistant general manager, or GM for 27 years, Holland has been invested with one team in the fight.

“I was a Red Wing for 37 years and then five with Edmonton,” Holland said. “I’ve had the highs and lows, the emotional rollercoaster ride.”

In June, he was one win away from a fifth Stanley Cup with Edmonton – one win from being on a shortlist of managers who guided two separate franchises to a title, one win away from etching his name on Lord Stanley next to his son, Brad, who was the Oilers’ assistant GM. And one week later, poof, his contract expired in Edmonton and he was left to decide how to fill his days.

Holland had offers from multiple teams to join as an advisor. But that didn’t feel quite right. He prefers to have more decision-making power as opposed to being part of the furniture.

“We’ll see,” Holland said. “I’m enjoying this year and we’ll see what happens. Hopefully I can add to the Hockey Ops department.”

Holland has no shortage of options. He could continue on in Hockey Operations. But the hockey lifer admittedly still can’t quite kick the exhilaration of having skin in the game, the joy and pain of wins and losses.

“We’ll see,” Holland said. “For the first time, since July 1, I haven’t had any stress. It’s been an stress-free existence. But I’m not sure if I enjoy a stress-free existence.”

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