The man who saved the Edmonton Oilers, Cal Nichols, has passed away.

Over the weekend the Edmonton Oilers shared some very sad news when they confirmed the passing of former Oilers owner Cal Nichols, a man who was instrumental in shaping the franchise we see today.

Nichols' early life began in Saskatchewan but by 1969 he made the move to Edmonton and became a successful entrepreneur, a decision that would unknowingly alter the fate of the Oilers franchise. Nichols became a fan of the Oilers and was even a season ticket holder when news came down that Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was trying to sell the team. The threat of relocation to the United States was very real, but that was when Nichols stepped in.

Nichols didn't initially move to buy the team, instead he would be instrumental in something known as the Friends Of The Oilers ticket drive. Nichols, who co-chaired the movement, was trying to demonstrate to the National Hockey League that the Oilers and the city of Edmonton were a viable match. The drive was a huge success with Nichols and company selling over 13,000 season tickets, more than doubling the previous season's total.

Despite that the Oilers would still go up for sale in 1997 and it was at that moment that Nichols would become an NHL owner. Nichols was viewed as the tip of the spear for what would become the Edmonton Investors Group, or simply EIG, a collection of local investors who were looking to keep the team right where it was.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke highly of Nichols.

"It is difficult to imagine that the Oilers would still be in Edmonton if not for Cal Nichols," said Bettman as per NHL.com.

It was perhaps former Oilers forward Kevin Lowe, a man who was directly impacted by Nichols' contributions to the franchise, who put it best.

"Lots of people deserve acknowledgement, but Cal for sure," said Lowe. "The Oilers aren’t there, Rogers Place is not there, and Connor McDavid is not there. None of that happens without Cal’s leadership."

Nichols' impact on the city of Edmonton goes beyond just saving the Oilers however, he also was a major contributor to the city through his creation of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. An organization that has raised $559 million since 2001 and has supported more than 1,059 charities through its efforts.

My most sincere condolences go out to the Nichols family, the Edmonton Oilers, the Oilers fan base and all those impacted by the loss of Cal Nichols.