Edmonton Oilers owner dealing with life-threatening illness

It was a time for celebration in Edmonton today at the Oilers announced that that Ken Holland has been hired as the team's new general manager and president of hockey operations.

However, fans also noticed that something was wrong with Oilers owner Daryl Katz made a rare public appearance in Edmonton on Tuesday at the news conference. 

It was later revealed by the team that Katz has been battling a potentially life-threatening infection over the past few years. The Oilers Entertainment Group confirmed Katz has been dealing with a life-threatening sinus infection.

Sportsnet’s John Shannon also discussed the situation on social media when change in Katz's appearance quickly became a focal point and prompted questions from fans. The Oilers confirmed that his tweets were factual. 

"He carried an IV bag 24/7 during the playoff run, two seasons ago," Shannon wrote on his Twitter account. "The infection has a 50-50 survival rate. He's had three surgeries over the past 10 months with one more surgery to go. It is the primary reason why he hasn't been around Edmonton and the team."

Let's hope he gets better and that all of this bad health is behind him.