Brad Richards #39 of team Canada looks on as teammate Ed Jovanovski is helped off the ice after injuring his knee by trainer Ken Lowe during the second period of their World Cup of Hockey game against team USA on August 31, 2004 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Canada defeated USA 2-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images
Now this should fix the Edmonton Oilers' woes: They've ousted their long-time trainer Ken Lowe and equipment managers Barrie Stafford and Lyle (Sparky) Kulchisky. Who's next? Paul Lorieau, the guy who sings the national anthem at Rexall Place. That should get the Oilers scoring more goals next season.
A day after firing assistant general manager Kevin Prendergast, GM Steve Tambellini was back with a vengeance. Officially, the Oilers said Lowe, the brother of team president Kevin Lowe, had "resigned" while Stafford and Kulchisky had been told they would be reassigned within the organization.
There was no mention of Joey Moss, the dressing-room attendant whose sister Vicki used to go out with Wayne Gretzky when he was a young Oiler.
"I acknowledge (Lowe, Stafford and Kulchisky's) many accomplishments and their support," Tambellini said in a news release. "In our hearts, they will be Oilers forever."
What Tambellini is doing is revamping the Oiler organization from the bottom up. But the reality is there are bigger fish to fry than three back-room employees who never failed to show their loyalty, dating back to the team's glory years right up to this season's last-place showing.
Given the current bloodletting in Edmonton, the next guy to go has to be the public address announcer. Either him or the statue of Gretzky outside the arena.