Duncan Keith part of 9 new Oilers front office changes
Duncan Keith is officially back with the Edmonton Oilers.
Keith was named to a player development role with the Oilers almost exactly three months after announcing his retirement from the club after 17 seasons in the NHL. The 39-year-old had one season remaining on a 13-year, $72 million contract signed with the Chicago Blackhawks on December 3, 2009.
Keith had 646 points (106 goals, 540 assists) in 1,256 regular-season games with the Blackhawks and Oilers, and 91 points (19 goals, 72 assists) in 151 playoff games with the two clubs. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2015 and is a two-time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenceman. He also has two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada, in 2010 and 2014.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion will visit Oilers draft picks at the junior level and the team’s prospects playing with the Bakersfield Condors in the American Hockey League.
Keith’s addition, rumoured last month, was one of nine front-office changes announced by Edmonton on Friday.
The Oilers also appointed Milan Tichy as director of amateur European scouting and added Warren Rychel and Jason Pietrzykowski as pro scouts. Jeff Salajko has been hired as goaltender scout, and Christian Vermette joins the club’s staff of amateur scouts.
Rychel played 406 games in the NHL and previously owned the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League, and Pietrzykowski has previously spent time in the organization as both pro scout and video assistant to current video coach Jeremy Coupal.
Tichy had previously spent the past 23 seasons as a European scout with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Salajko spent seven seasons as goaltending coach with the Detroit Red Wings.
Vermette joins the Oilers after eight years with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as assistant general manager and head scout.
Edmonton also announced Kaite Doyle was promoted to director of team services and hockey operations, and the additions of Tina Johnson as a nutrition consultant and Tania Kenny as an executive assistant in hockey operations.
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