Kelly McCrimmon Named Golden Knights GM Amid Links to Oilers Job

The Vegas Golden Knights have reached the playoffs in both years of the franchise's existence, and now they are promoting from within for the general manager position.

On Thursday, the team announced Kelly McCrimmon will be the new general manager starting on Sept. 1 after he was named assistant GM in 2016. The announcement noted McCrimmon will report to president of hockey operations and current general manager George McPhee, who will remain in his hockey operations role.

"Kelly has been a tremendous addition to our hockey operations group and the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization as a whole," McPhee said. "His character, leadership, hockey acumen, and player evaluation at both the pro and amateur levels is exceptional. We are confident Kelly will thrive in this new role. We will continue to build a team and a franchise that our fans are proud to support."

Bob McKenzie of TSN noted this move means McCrimmon is no longer "in the mix" for the Edmonton Oilers' GM position.

The team's announcement is validation of McCrimmon's importance during the Golden Knights' preparation for the 2017 expansion draft and inaugural entry draft. Vegas built an impressive roster and reached the Stanley Cup Final in its first year of existence and remained a force in the Western Conference during the 2018-19 season.

"Working with the Golden Knights has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I am very grateful for this new opportunity," McCrimmon said. "We are proud of the foundation we have built and are excited for the future."

McCrimmon was the owner, general manager and head coach of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings before he joined the Golden Knights.

As for the Oilers, TSN's Darren Dreger suggested Mark Hunter, Sean Burke or Keith Gretzky could be candidates for the GM position. He also said the trio could all be hired in some capacity as a general manager with two assistants.

While the Oilers have one of the best players in the league in Connor McDavid, they have made the playoffs just once since they lost the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.