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Morning, Oilers fans!
This morning we should probably talk about two things. First:
That didn't take long: CSKA's Dmitry Samorukov with the first goal of the new #KHL season, just 51 seconds into the opener! (#Oilers) https://t.co/cmFEEFz2m9
— Patrick C (@ChunkletsHockey) September 2, 2020
Dmitri Samorukov scored his first — and the first — KHL goal of the 2020-21 season with a guided laserbeam from just inside of 60 feet just inside of 60 seconds into his first game.
Samorukov is probably the Oilers second-best LHD prospect behind Philip Broberg and his progress in Russia this season will go some way to giving us an idea of what he might have to offer Edmonton moving forward.
Then, there’s this:
Jesse Puljujarvi’s Kärpät unfortunately lost this one 3-2, but JP scored both of Kärpät’s goals. One with a nice burst of speed on the end of a stretch pass that was chipped in front of him at the OZ blue line. A second from just outside the blue paint on what appeared to be a power play.
Arrows up for those two!
Oh, almost forgot. Let’s talk about this, too:
Love the #BlackLivesMatter and anti-racism messages at @RogersPlace during NHL games. FUN FACT: Daryl Katz, who owns the Oilers & operates the arena, also owns hyper-partisan right-wing news @LifeZette, which peddles conspiracy theories and runs stories like the one on the right. pic.twitter.com/PREvEhjjCq
— Omar Mouallem (@omar_aok) September 2, 2020
If nobody’s familiar with LifeZette, I’m sorry for bringing awareness of that scourge into your life. It is horrible, horrible stuff. Daryl Katz purchased a majority stake in LifeZette in 2018.
2018!
In other words, not long after a story surfaced about Katz offering ‘millions of dollars’ for ‘sex and companionship’ to an actress before ultimately hiring a PR firm to smear her husband’s reputation and discredit a story about these very details.
That came five years or so after Katz threatened Oilers fans that he’d move the team to Seattle if he didn’t get a sweet enough deal for a new public arena in 2012, four years after he purchased the team in July of 2008.
So with Katz in the news again, I came across this comment:
I'm laughing at the LifeZette stuff. As I have said many times, Daryl Katz is the worst owner the Oilers have ever had and it isn't even close.
— Dubois chewing food (@ThomsonCam) September 3, 2020
Pocklington’s got some skeletons in his closet, too. But he’s got more Stanley Cups than Katz has playoff appearances. Katz might not be responsible for a Gretzky-type trade, but arguably two of the worst trades in franchise history happened under his watch.
What do you think?
Poll
Who is/was the worst Oilers owner?
This poll is closed
-
55%
Peter Pocklington (1976-1993)
(118 votes) -
44%
Daryl Katz (2008-Present)
(93 votes)
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