The Oilers held a press conference today to officially introduce Ken Holland as the team’s new President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. Alongside Holland was Bob Nicholson and Daryl Katz, who we hadn’t seen make a public appearance in several years.
To be blunt, Katz’s appearance was at the front of mind for many people following the press conference. Fans were shocked to see how different he looked since the last time we saw him publicly a few years ago. As we soon learned, Mr Katz is dealing with health issues that have caused him to have multiple surgeries as he continues to battle for his life.
Shortly after the press conference, John Shannon confirmed that the Oilers’ owner has been dealing with a life-threatening sinus infection over the past few years. The infection apparently has a 50/50 survival rate and he has had three surgeries over the past two years. Furthermore, Shannon reported that Katz carried around an IV bag at all times during the Oilers’ playoff run back in 2017.
As a fan of the Oilers, I appreciated Katz making an appearance at the press conference to take responsibility for the struggles of the organization under his tenure as owner. Given what he’s going through right now in regards to his health, it’s incredibly commendable to make a public appearance as he did and we want to thank him for doing so. It’s important for the fans to hear from the owner and we know how difficult it must have been for him to step forward in this setting.
Let’s respect Mr. Katz privacy, stop making comments about his appearance, and wish him and his family all the best at this time.