Bill Scott named Barons GM

BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com

It took a little longer than originally planned but the Barons have a general manager.

Bill Scott, who has worked in the American Hockey League offices for four seasons, was hired by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday to manage the team in its inaugural season.

“I’m excited,” Scott said. “Working in the league office was a terrific experience. It really helped me see how the league operates and how our different teams operate.

“But to go back with a team where you have an opportunity to win games and compete for a Calder Cup championship was really the selling point to me and in a new market like Oklahoma City, with an organization like the Edmonton Oilers, it was just the perfect opportunity.”

Scott, who is currently the AHL’s Director of Hockey Operations, will return to his job with the league until the end of the month before returning to Oklahoma City in early September.

“We feel we have secured one of the bright young minds in the AHL with Bill,” Oilers GM Steve Tambellini said in a statement.

The Oilers had initially hoped to have a general manager in place by the NHL Draft in late June but with most of the organization’s focus on the draft, where the Oilers had the No. 1 overall pick for the first time in their history, the GM search stretched out.

According to the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers twice offered the job to Vancouver Giants’ junior GM Scott Bonner but he declined.

Last month, the Oilers hired Todd Nelson as the Barons’ head coach and Gerry Fleming as Nelson’s assistant.

Two players have been signed specifically for the Barons, AHL veterans Jake Taylor and Colin McDonald, and the Oilers have signed several other players that are likely to see significant time in Oklahoma City.

“The Oilers have some great draft picks coming through their system right now, which you’re going to see in Oklahoma City, and they’ve brought in some great AHL veteran players who will help guide those young guys and provide a winning environment for those players to develop in, which should be exciting for the fans and for the team.