from Tim Campbell of NHL.com,

Hired by the Edmonton Oilers as their general manager May 7, Holland, 63, has a big challenge ahead of him, going to a team with many question marks and plenty of recent disappointment. The Oilers were seventh in the Pacific Division this season with 79 points and have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in the past 13 seasons.

"What changes the culture? Winning," Holland said. "But how do you win enough to change the culture?"

Holland says it's the central question and where his work will begin.

Initially, it has been with some organizational decisions. Senior vice-president of hockey operations Craig MacTavish, a former Oilers general manager, coach and player, chose to leave to coach Locomotiv in the KHL. Vice-president of player personnel Duane Sutter has been fired. And Holland decided to move on from coach Ken Hitchcock and conduct his own coaching search.

There will also be roster decisions ahead and when he completes his personnel decisions, Holland wants the plan and the focus in Edmonton to be all about stability.

"To continue and have a new coach every two or three years, well, in 22 years in Detroit I had four coaches (Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis, Mike Babcock, Jeff Blashill)," Holland said. "If you're constantly changing and there are new managers and coaches, well, I'm hoping to bring in stability and bring a plan.

"There will be rocky waters but when things aren't going well, if you keep changing people, you're changing the plan and now you start all over. I think culture is about stability and knowing where you want to go and how you'll get there."

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