Oilers fire head coach Jay Woodcroft, hire Hartford’s Kris Knoblauch

Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft, back, stands on the bench behind Connor McDavid, front from left to right, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Gagner and Evander Kane during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, in Vancouver, on Monday, November 6, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/CP)

By Sportsnet Staff

Posted November 12, 2023 10:54 am.

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson after a disappointing start to a season that had Stanley Cup aspirations.

The team announced that Hartford Wolf Pack’s Kris Knoblauch will assume head coaching duties in Woodcroft’s place. He will be joined by assistant coach Paul Coffey.

Knoblauch coached Oilers superstar Connor McDavid when the two were both with the OHL’s Erie Otters. The 45-year-old coach finished with a 119-90-32 record in just over four seasons with the AHL’s Wolf Pack.

The move comes after the Oilers started the season 3-9-1. Edmonton did pick up a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, but the victory was not enough to buy Woodcroft more time.

Woodcroft coached parts of three seasons with the Oilers after replacing Dave Tippett in February of 2022. He finishes his Oilers tenure with a 79-41-13 record.

Before taking over the NHL bench, Woodcroft coached the Oilers’ AHL affiliate — the Bakersfield Condors — for four years, winning a championship in 2020-21.

The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division last season with a 50-23-9 record on the back of a historic power play and a league-leading 325 goals.

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