Oilers’ Kevin Lowe is stepping down from his roles as vice chairman and vice governor

Kevin Lowe’s post-hockey to-do list has been growing for years.

The Edmonton Oilers legend sat down with his wife at the end of the NHL season and wrote down all the places they want to go, the things they want to do.

As Lowe reviewed the results, he realized it was time to retire from the Oilers’ front office. On Tuesday, he resigned from his roles as vice chairman and vice governor.

“It’s exciting,” Lowe told The Canadian Press. “I’m 63 now. I wanted to spend a little more time with family and grandkids and maybe see a little more of the world that I haven’t seen before. So I figured I’d better start now. You never know what lies ahead.”

He will remain with the team as an ambassador, and with travel plans, five children and two grandchildren (so far), the Hall of Famer defender expects to keep busy.

“I’ll still be involved in the game as an ambassador, I’d love to go on the speaking tour, I’d love to write a book. So there’s still a lot to do,” Lowe said. “But not being on the expected schedule and being employed by the organization gives me the freedom to put my finger in the wind and see what’s out there.”

His retirement marks the end of more than 40 years with the Oilers.

Lowe was the team’s first-ever NHL draft pick in 1979. He won five Stanley Cups with Edmonton and helped the New York Rangers win the 1994 championship.

A native of Lachute, Que., retired in 1998 after accumulating 431 points (84 goals, 347 assists) and 1,498 penalty minutes in 1,254 NHL regular-season games with the Oilers and Rangers.

“We had a wonderful group, especially in the early days. I’ve been fortunate to work with so many good people,” he said. “Winning that first cup is probably always the greatest moment.”

He was Edmonton’s head coach during the 1999/2000 season and general manager of the club from 2000 to 2008.

Hockey has changed drastically during Lowe’s time in the NHL, and the longtime manager said he is proud of his role in shaping the game.

Lowe was part of the competition committee that introduced a series of changes in 2005 aimed at increasing scoring chances. The new rules realigned the lines on the ice, reduced the size of goaltender equipment, and introduced penalty kicks for games tied after five minutes over time.

“The game has changed a lot, all for the better,” Lowe said of the league’s current on-ice product.

In 2002, Lowe was part of the lead squad for the Canada men’s ice hockey team that won Olympic gold in Salt Lake City. He was also manager of the Canada team that took first place in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Lowe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 and received the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021. The Oilers retired his No. 4 pick in November 2021.

“Very few have the impact that Kevin has had, both on and off the ice,” Oilers chairman Bob Nicholson said in a statement Tuesday. “He is an example of leadership and has done so much to connect the organization with our fans while supporting so many good causes in our community.

“He is a teammate, leader and friend to so many in the organization and we congratulate him on an amazing career and look forward to the next chapter in his career.”

After more than four decades with the Oilers, Lowe said what stands out is how important the team is to Edmonton and the fans.

“I can still go anywhere in the country and people will cite the Oilers of the ’80s or a specific moment that they remember,” he said. “The whole country is like living in a small town. It tells me how important the game of hockey is to Canadians.”