Five representatives of the Club returned from their trip to Edmonton on Wednesday evening. They took part in a one-week internship at Edmonton Entertainment Group. The internship focused on sports and business took place in the form of meetings with authorized representatives of the Club.

Sports – training of A-team and junior team, scouting and selection of players, care of players, game strategies, experience from practice, team economy, organizational structure, competences and communication within the locker room

Business – sale marketing, marketing during the match, game direction, work with community, technical support of the Club, organizational structure, experience from practice

The team including Tomáš Kuriatnik (Club Executive and Marketing Board Member), Stanislav Mucha (Marketing Board Member), Jan Šťastný (Club Sports Director), Peter Holaza (Academy Head Coach), Dušan Strharský (Goalie Coach) met the leading representatives of Edmonton Oilers, such as Bob Nicholson (President of the Club), Ken Holland (General Manager of the Club), Kevin Lowe (Vice President of the Club), Tim Shipton (Communication and PR Director), Jeff Harrop (Marketing Director), coaches and officials from Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oil Kings (Youth Team) and other managers and representatives of the Club. The internship also included visit of two matches of Edmonton Oilers and one match of Edmonton Oil Kings. The home-grown player of HC Košice and currently injured player of Edmonton Oilers Tomáš Jurčo joined the Košice Team during the internship.

We will inform on findings and outcomes soon. Tomáš Kuriatnik and Jan Šťastný summarized their first impressions from the visit.

Tomáš Kuriatnik, Executive and Member of the Board of Directors of HC Košice: "Oilers Entertainment Group is a successful company where business and hockey are at the same level and share organization’s culture, values, and visions. Top managers of the Club and their colleagues manifested their generosity when they found time for us and shared with us their valuable information and experience from all areas. Organization’s teamwork, clear assignment of competences, and positive culture are those attributes which we also would like to achieve in Košice. On behalf of the entire team, I sincerely thank Oilers Entertainment Group for this opportunity. Finally, I thank our head coach Peter Draisaitl and his son Leon, without whose help it would not have been possible to complete this internship. The responsibility to process acquired knowledge as best as possible, share it with their colleagues and supporters and try to implement it in the conditions of our Club now rests with all the participants.

HC Košice Sports Director Jan Šťastný: “On February 4 to 12 we took the opportunity to take part in the internship in Canada, directly in the Edmonton Oilers organization playing in the NHL. During that time the President of the Club Bob Nicholson prepared for us a very comprehensive program and we had a chance to look under the lid - how they have set it up all throughout their organization in sporting, management, and marketing terms. We have met the coaches of the entire team led by the General Manager Ken Holland and 6-time Stanley Cup Champion Kevin Love. In addition, we could take a tour around all the facilities of Edmonton Oilers based at the new Rogers Place arena which is one of the most modern NHL arenas. During the whole period we could also watch the preparation of players on ice rink and outside ice rink, as well as the second match Oilers against San Jose and Nashville, and the match WHL Oil Kings against Red Deer."