An Edmonton Oilers legend has resigned from his position with the franchise. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Kevin Love is stepping down as vice chair and alternate governor, the team has announced.
When the Oilers selected Lowe with the no. 21st pick overall in the 1979 NHL Draft, he became the first draft pick in franchise history. Between his playing career and off-ice roles, Lowe has spent nearly four decades with the Oilers, and chairman Bob Nicholson released a statement thanking Lowe for his service to the team.
“Kevin Lowe has been an integral part of the Edmonton Oilers for 40 years and will continue to be connected to the organization as an Oilers ambassador.” Nicholson said in his statement.
“Few people have had the impact Kevin has had both on and off the ice. He has exemplified leadership and done so much to help connect the organization to our fans, while He has supported many worthy causes in our community. He is a teammate, leader and friend to many in the organization and we congratulate him on an outstanding career and the next chapter of his career. Excited for.”
Lowe played a total of 15 seasons with the Oilers, interspersed with four years with the New York Rangers from 1992 to 1996. 1,037 games. Love was a key player in five Stanley Cup championships with the Oilers, and he added another in 1994 with the New York Rangers.
Lowe retired from playing in 1998, and was immediately hired as an assistant coach on Ron Lowe’s staff for the 1998–99 season. A year later, Lowe replaced Lowe as head coach, and he led the Oilers to a 32-26-16-8 record and a postseason berth.
When general manager Glenn Sather left for the New York Rangers in 2000, Edmonton promoted Lowe to the role, and he remained there until 2008. Under Lue’s guidance, the Oilers won the Western Conference in 2006 before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup. Since the 2008 Finals, Lowe has served in several off-ice roles with the Oilers, including president of hockey operations.
In 2020, Lowe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Oilers retired his number in 2021.
