Up Front - Edmonton Oilers give MacT the heave ho

Emily Plihal
Express staff

The Edmonton Oilers executive team made a decision many of their fans have been waiting for for the last three years.

Former player and long-standing coach Craig MacTavish has been fired.

Much to the delight of many Oilers fans across Alberta, except for this one.

I had the amazing privilege of interviewing Craig, (among many other reporters) when I freelanced for Reuters, after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.

He had an excellent grasp on what it took to make a winning team. Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on that knowledge, leading (after the heart-breaking loss in Game 7) to three straight seasons of not making the NHL playoffs.

The Oilers definitely need a change behind the bench. MacT has been coaching the Oil since Kevin Lowe was promoted in the summer of 2000.

A quick look back at his career includes leading the Edmonton Oilers to their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2005 -2006 since 1990. The Oilers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in that series. The Oilers record of 41-28-13 that season left them in eighth place of the NHL’s Western Conference. Within one game of their sixth Stanley Cup, the Oilers succumbed to the Hurricanes.

In that year, they defeated the President Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to win the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions.

Fortunately, this breathes a new breath of fresh air into the Oilers organization. Although it’s sad to see good ol’ MacT leave the organization, the Oilers need something to get them back on track.

Hopefully the executive crew, including General Manager Steve Tambellini, can find a coach who can put a fire under the Oilers hockey players.

There is a heck of a lot of talent on paper, the team needs a coach who will not tolerate less than stellar play.

Maybe a Scotty Bowman-like coach can be found to whip the Oilers into shape. Something tells me a coach that incredible will not be found.

Thanks MacT for years of exciting hockey!

Crazy drivers

Lately I’ve noticed the traffic in the region becoming much quicker and less cautious than during the winter months.

There are more children outside playing, and more adults taking walks later into the evening, but this does not seem to slow the drivers.

My concern is that even in our small communities, someone may be hurt or even killed by a reckless driver.

Most of the drivers are quite young, and likely do not understand the consequences of reckless driving. If they do understand the consequences, they probably think they are invincible to an accident.

Well, wake up and smell the coffee! You driving like a maniac could very well endanger someone. How would you feel if you hurt another person?

There is no reason to drive any quicker than 50 km in town, in fact you should be driving closer to a speed of 30 km in the local communities.

Just because you’ve reached the last stop sign in the community, does not mean you are at the highway.

Take precaution. Just because you are young, does not mean you are invincible. Hurting someone via your vehicle would change your life for the duration of your life.

Slow down and take time to be respectful of others.

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