Edmonton Oilers have their man

From EdmontonOilers.com

Ken Holland named Oilers GM and President of Hockey Operations

Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced today the hiring of Ken Holland as General Manager and President of Hockey Operations of the Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced today the hiring of Ken Holland as General Manager and President of Hockey Operations of the Edmonton Oilers.

In this role, Holland will oversee all hockey operations for the Edmonton Oilers with full autonomy, reporting directly to OEG CEO Bob Nicholson.

“The Edmonton Oilers are excited to welcome Ken Holland to the organization,” said Nicholson. “Ken’s experience as a hockey executive and NHL general manager is unmatched, and his arrival is an important step to the Oilers achieving the success we all want for the team. I look forward to working with Ken and he will have full autonomy over all aspects of hockey operations for the Edmonton Oilers.”

“I am very happy to be joining the Edmonton Oilers,” said Holland. “I believe we can build something special in Edmonton and I look forward to putting a plan in place to make the Oilers a consistently successful team.”

Holland, 63, was the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings for the past 22 seasons, capturing four Presidents Trophies (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008), 10 division championships (1991, 2001-2004, 2006-2009, 2011), five regular season conference titles (2002, 2004, 2006-08) and reaching 100 regular season points in 13 of his last 18 seasons.

A native of Vernon, BC, Holland helped the Red Wings capture four Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008), the most recent three while serving as general manager.

Over his time as general manager with the Red Wings, Holland guided the team to more combined regular-season and post-season wins (1,044) than any other NHL franchise. The Red Wings reached the playoffs for his first 19 seasons as general manager, giving the organization 25 consecutive seasons in the NHL post-season (1990-2016).

Prior to taking over as general manager of the Red Wings in 1997, Holland served in a number of different roles within the organization, including as assistant general manager (1994-97), general manager of the Red Wings’ American Hockey League affiliate (1994-97), amateur scouting director (1987-94) and western scout (1985-87).

Internationally, Holland has served on several management staffs for Hockey Canada, winning gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

As a goaltender, he was drafted by Toronto in the 12th round, 188th overall, in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft, reaching the NHL for four games with Hartford and Detroit. Holland retired as a player after the 1984-85 season, transitioning soon afterwards into scouting.

Holland played two seasons of junior hockey with the Medicine Hat Tigers from 1973-75 and later resided in the city from 1985-1994 working as a Western Canadian scout for the Red Wings.

Holland and his wife Cindy have four children: Brad, Julie, Rachel and Greg.

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Alberta

Multi-million dollar drug seizure in southwest Edmonton

Published on October 28, 2024

Todayville

News release from ALERT (The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team)

Nearly $2.5 million in drugs and cash was seized from a southwest Edmonton condo building. A warrant has been issued for an Edmonton man.

ALERT Edmonton’s organized crime team made the seizure on October 9, 2024 after searching an address in the Windermere neighbourhood. The Edmonton Police Service helped with the search warrant execution.

ALERT seized an estimated $2.3 million worth of drugs, which included:

17.7 kilograms of cocaine;
5.3 kilograms of MDMA;
950 grams of methamphetamine;
3.1 kilograms of ketamine;
5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms;
20,000 oxycodone pills;
4,705 illicit prescription pills;
$41,000 cash.

ALERT searched the address following an investigation that dates back to June 2024. Investigators developed information about a high-level drug trafficker operating in the Edmonton area with a number of supply lines.

The drug seizure marks ALERT’s largest since a record bust earlier in the year. In August, 27 kilograms of cocaine were seized from a west Edmonton home. The two investigations are unrelated.

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Minh Nguyen. The 36-year-old Edmonton man is wanted on charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, and possession of counterfeit money.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police.

The investigation began in June 2024 after ALERT received information about a drug supplier based in the Edmonton area. ALERT alleges Nguyen was supplying other drug dealers in Edmonton and northern Alberta communities.

Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.

ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Alberta

Police seize more than 66 kg of illicit drugs in interprovincial trafficking investigation

Published on September 12, 2024

Todayville Edmonton

News release from the Edmonton Police Service

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has seized more than 66 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in a large-scale drug investigation in central Edmonton.

In December 2023, members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Section (EDGE) initiated an inter-provincial drug trafficking investigation.

During the investigation, three male suspects were noted to be involved in various aspects of inter-provincial drug trafficking, including transporting drugs into and out of Alberta, as well as distributing them throughout Edmonton, including the inner-city community. A storage location for the drugs was located in a central Edmonton high rise apartment.

On May 9, 2024, police executed search warrants at three residences and four vehicles. As a result of the search warrants, EDGE members seized:

55.7 kg of methamphetamine, worth approximately $250,650
8.7 kg of cocaine, worth approximately $696,000
2.5 kg of fentanyl, worth approximately $300,000
83.5 grams of heroin, worth approximately $28,400
20 kg of buffing agent
Five handguns, three of which were loaded at the time of seizure and two of which had defaced serial numbers. Two were also reported stolen in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and one originated from the U.S.
Four vehicles with hidden compartments
Approximately $20,000 in various currency

Drugs and firearms located in one of EPS’ largest-ever drug seizures

“This investigation is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, seizure of controlled substances in EPS history,” says Staff Sergeant David Paton, with the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section. “Intercepting this huge volume of extremely harmful street drugs before they wreak havoc in our city is a rewarding outcome for our investigators, who have worked tirelessly for months on this operation.”

Jesse Koble, 29, is facing 27 charges, Mitchell Steeg, 31, is charged with nine offences, and Steven Santillana, 34 is charged with two offences, for a total of 38 drug and firearms-related criminal charges.

The EPS takes a strategic approach to drug and organized crime related violence through its Guns and Gangs Strategy. This plan considers the unique factors driving serious crime in the city, identifying key focus areas that require increased and sustained effort to reduce victimization and improve community safety.

The strategy leverages EPS’ internal expertise and external partnerships with other enforcement and social agencies to strike a balance between education, suppression, intervention, and prevention. It encompasses immediate and long-term solutions that both hold those perpetrating violence accountable and lead willing individuals away from gang association.