Former Edmonton Oilers are scattered throughout professional hockey from the NHL to leagues elsewhere in North America and overseas. Others have moved behind the bench, into broadcasting, or into front offices.
But the Oilers may not have realized that some of their turn-of-the-century roster changes were also a training ground for future NHL general managers.
Apparently, they weren’t just developing hockey players.
With Shawn Horcoff recently named interim general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, four former Oilers players are now running NHL teams.
Horcoff joins a group that already includes San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier, Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin, and Ottawa Senators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios.
Even more interesting is when they played in Edmonton.
Rather than being scattered across completely different eras of Oilers hockey, all four passed through the organization within a relatively small window. Three even shared the dressing room at different points
Now, instead of worrying about line combinations and defensive assignments, they’re making trades, negotiating contracts, and building NHL rosters.
Mike Grier: Edmonton to San Jose
Mike Grier‘s NHL career began in Edmonton.
After the Oilers acquired his rights from the St. Louis Blues in 1995, Grier went directly from Boston University to the NHL. He made his debut with Edmonton in 1996 and spent six seasons with the organization.
He twice reached the 20-goal mark as an Oiler before Edmonton traded him to Washington ahead of the 2002–03 season.
His post-playing career eventually took him through several different sides of hockey operations. Grier worked as a professional scout with the Chicago Blackhawks, an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, and a hockey operations adviser with the New York Rangers before San Jose hired him as general manager in 2022.
The hiring also made history, as Grier became the first Black general manager in NHL history
Four years later, the Sharks are beginning to show the results of the roster he has cultivated. Led by a young core that includes Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, San Jose went 39–35–8 in 2025–26, improving by 19 wins and 34 points and finishing four points out of the second wild card.
Grier’s latest roster moves have even brought another familiar face into the mix. On July 1, San Jose acquired longtime Oiler Darnell Nurse from Edmonton in exchange for Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to Zack Sharp.
Bill Guerin: From teammate to fellow GM
Grier didn’t have to look far to find another future NHL general manager during his Edmonton days.
Bill Guerin arrived in Edmonton during the 1997–98 season as part of the trade that sent Jason Arnott to the New Jersey Devils.
For a few seasons, Guerin and Grier were teammates.
Guerin ultimately spent parts of four seasons with the Oilers before being traded to the Boston Bruins in 2000. His playing career would continue until 2010, followed by a move into hockey operations.
Minnesota hired Guerin as its general manager in 2019, and he now serves as both GM and executive vice president of hockey operations.
He’s also the reigning Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year.
Guerin received the award following the 2025–26 season after Minnesota finished seventh overall and reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Steve Staios: From the 2006 run to Ottawa
If Grier and Guerin represent the late-’90s Oilers connection, Steve Staios brings us firmly into the 2000s.
Staios joined Edmonton in 2001 and became a fixture on the Oilers’ blue line.
He was also part of the 2005–06 team that came within one victory of winning the Stanley Cup, playing all 24 games during Edmonton’s run to Game seven of the Final.
After his playing career, Staios eventually found his way back to Edmonton in an executive capacity before moving on to other opportunities.
His front-office career took him through Hamilton, the Ontario Hockey League and eventually Ottawa.
Today, Staios serves as the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager.
And this summer provided a particularly fun wrinkle to the former-Oilers-GM club: Staios and Grier became trade partners.
Ottawa acquired William Eklund, Kasper Halttunen, and prospect Brandon Svoboda from San Jose in June in exchange for a first-round pick.
Two former Oilers teammates turned NHL general managers, making a trade with each other more than two decades later.
Shawn Horcoff: The newest addition
Then there is the newest member.
Unlike the other three, Horcoff didn’t arrive in Edmonton through a trade or waiver claim.
The Oilers drafted him 99th overall in 1998, and he went on to spend 12 seasons in Edmonton.
His tenure included the 2006 Stanley Cup run, an NHL All-Star appearance, and three seasons as Oilers’ captain.
After finishing his playing career with Dallas and Anaheim, Horcoff moved into Detroit’s front office in 2016. He worked his way from player development into management, eventually becoming assistant GM of the Red Wings and GM of their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.
On September 15, Detroit handed him an even bigger job.
The Red Wings named Horcoff interim general manager, putting another former Oiler in charge of an NHL club.
Horcoff isn’t simply keeping the seat warm, either. Detroit confirmed that he will oversee day-to-day roster decisions, the salary cap, and hockey operations personnel while the organization conducts its search.
From the dressing room to the front office
Grier. Guerin. Staios. Horcoff.
Four players who once wore the Oilers crest are now responsible for constructing NHL teams of their own.
There is no single path connecting them.
Grier went through scouting and coaching. Guerin moved through player development and management. Staios gained experience at several levels of hockey. Horcoff spent a decade climbing Detroit’s organizational ladder.
But their paths all include Edmonton.
And the overlap makes it even more interesting.
Grier and Guerin shared an Oilers dressing room in the late 1990s. By 2001–02, Grier, Staios, and Horcoff were all teammates in Edmonton. Staios and Horcoff would remain together for years, eventually helping the Oilers reach the 2006 Stanley Cup Final.
More than two decades later, they’re sitting on opposite sides of NHL trade calls.
For an era of Oilers hockey usually remembered for tight budgets, constant roster turnover, and that unforgettable 2006 run, it has produced a surprising legacy.
Four NHL general managers—and counting.
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