New hope in the oil fields

The Edmonton Oilers had a PR disaster last season when star forward Ryan Smyth was traded to the New York Islanders. The damage for the Oilers went to the roots of their dedicated fan base as their season ended with a massive losing streak. They went from being in the Stanley Cup finals to not making the playoffs at all. Personally, I would not want to rebuild the image of a team that fell so fast.

This season has been less dramatic for the Oilers, but their unimpressive stats make life difficult for PR staff. How does a team consistently lose and maintain large audiences without being the Toronto Maple Leafs? It all comes down to hope. Fans understand slumps, but they want to have hope for the future. Whether it be a upcoming draft pick, or a breakout season by a rookie, a team needs a cornerstone for communication.

The Oilers have a new hope emerging this week, and they need to jump on it quickly. Mathieu Garon came to the Oilers from the Los Angeles Kings as a back-up goalie for veteran Dwayne Roloson. As the season has progressed, Garon has taken on a major role and given the Oilers hope. Just as Roloson brought hope for a Stanley Cup two short years ago, Garon is bringing hope for a new Oilers team.

Garon posted a shut-out against rival team the Calgary Flames earlier this week. He followed that performance with a 40 save win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Garon is only 30 years old and has many years left in the league. The Oilers’ PR staff need to make a new Roloson. The fans need hope and other teams need to be fearful.

A strong communication strategy, focused on Garon’s success in games, commitment to the team, and his hope for the future, can start the rebuilding of a team with many years of success. I’ll be watching to see if the Oilers can capitalize on their assets like Garon.