In episode one, "Changes", we join Oilers' scouts and management in Los Angeles for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft on June 25th. The documentary takes viewers deep inside the Oilers organization as the team's amateur scouts, along with General Manager Steve Tambellini and President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe, make their final deliberations on the first overall pick in the draft.
With eventual pick Taylor Hall and other carefully chosen players from later rounds of the draft now theirs, the Oilers return to Edmonton. There they launch the bold, wholesale rebuild promised by Tambellini and Lowe, with the full backing of billionaire owner Daryl Katz, in the Oil Change pilot that aired on TSN on June 24th, the night before the draft. Various players from last season's 30th place team (including captain Ethan Moreau) are waived, traded, bought-out or simply not re-signed to make cap room and roster space for the influx of talented newcomers expected in 2010-11. In another move, the cerebral and articulate Tom Renney is tapped to replace legend Pat Quinn behind the bench. The saga of malcontent defenseman Sheldon Souray is also chronicled.
The documentary then goes on to show the Oilers' pro scouts and brass in their 'war room' on July 1st, so-called 'Free Agency Day', as they endeavour to trade Souray, find a big defenseman to replace his shot on the blueline, and secure a heavyweight enforcer to protect Taylor Hall and the other youngsters on the team.
Other highlights of the hour include a look at the team's prospect development camp in July, where excited fans in Edmonton packed a north end community arena for a chance to see Hall and other highly-touted first-rounders Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi together on the ice for the first time.
The last part of the hour takes viewers into training camp and through the exhibition season with the team. Thanks to remarkable access on the part of the Aquila production crew, we see players getting cut in the coach's room, others being yelled at in the dressing room between periods, and even listen via wireless mic to new team captain Shawn Horcoff kibitzing with rookie linemates Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle on the bench during a game. All in all, it is an excited first episode in a ground-breaking new documentary series for TSN.
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