Bob Nicholson named vice-chairman of newly-formed Oilers Entertainment Group

Bob Nicholson was named Vice-Chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group on Friday. As per the Edmonton Oilers' official website, OEG is "a new sports and entertainment company that will manage the Katz Group’s growing family of sports and entertainment assets, and operate Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers."

From the official release:

In his role as Vice-Chairman, Mr. Nicholson will work closely with (Oilers owner) Daryl Katz, Kevin Lowe (Oilers' President of Hockey Operations), and Patrick LaForge to expand the group’s sports and entertainment offerings, deliver outstanding fan experiences, secure major new sponsorships and events, and operate Rogers Place. Currently under construction, Rogers Place will be North America’s leading sports and entertainment venue when it opens its doors in September 2016. Mr. Nicholson will also serve as an Alternate Governor for the Edmonton Oilers on the NHL Board of Governors.

“Bob Nicholson is an exceptional talent with a world-class reputation and deep relationships across the hockey world, from junior player development to world-scale events and large corporate sponsors,” said Katz. “He has been an innovator in driving new sport-based revenue models and we feel very fortunate he has chosen to move to Edmonton and become part of our team as we build a leading Canadian sports and entertainment company.”

Nicholson added the following: 

This was an opportunity for me to stay connected to the game I love, work with a hugely promising franchise and be part of an organization that fully understands the power of sports and entertainment to build brands, strengthen communities and inspire young people to excellence. I am very excited to be joining Daryl, Patrick, Kevin and the rest of the team, and look forward to saying more about our plans once I get my feet on the ground.

The setup appears to be similar to Toronto's Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, headed by Tim Leiweke with Brendan Shanahan serving as team president.

During the press conference following the announcement, Nicholson stated expressed a "vision" for great success in Edmonton; based on recent results, Nicholson and Co. certainly have a large to-do list in order to achieve their goals.