EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday after leading the team to consecutive first-round exits in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Knoblauch took over for the Oilers in November 2023 after Jay Woodcroft was fired after a poor start, and he has coached the Oilers to the playoffs three times since taking over. They won 166 of 286 total games behind the bench, and Knoblauch’s .623 regular-season scoring percentage ranked sixth among active NHL coaches.
advertise
The Oilers have now confirmed their sixth coach since Connor McDavid entered the NHL in 2015 and became the best player in the world, skating alongside MVP Leon Draisaitl. The pair have yet to win a championship and are now entering their 12th season.
Reports emerged earlier this week that Edmonton had approached the Vegas Golden Knights to speak with Bruce Cassidy, but was rebuffed, and they fired him at the end of March while his contract was still active. Teams making moves in the offseason often wait until there is an opening before contacting potential candidates.
General manager Stan Bowman made the move seemingly signaling he will stay on, as well as president of hockey operations Jeff Jackson joining the organization in August 2023. Jackson took over control of hockey operations after the team reached the finals for the first time in 2024 and hired Bowman as general manager that summer. Assistant coach Mark Stewart was also fired.
“After a thorough review of last season, we believe these changes are necessary,” Bowman said. “We thank Chris and Mark for their contributions to our organization and wish them all the best.”
advertise
The Oilers fell behind 3-0 in their first final game against Florida before forcing the Panthers to a Game 7 and losing by one goal. They came back the next year and had home-field advantage, but seemed to regress in a six-game series loss that could be blamed on poor defense and goaltending.
Those issues continued this season, both before and after Bowman traded goalies to acquire Tristan Jarry and send Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh. That makes it even worse, as Edmonton’s save percentage is 0.883, which ranks 29th among the league’s 32 teams.
Late in the season, McDavid heaped praise on Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper after the Lightning beat the Oilers 5-2. Even if that’s not a criticism of Knoblauch, it stands out from a player who typically talks more about taking responsibility for losses.
Edmonton was shut out by the inexperienced Anaheim Ducks when it couldn’t find anyone to stop the puck between Jarry and reserve-turned-starter Connor Ingram. Their combined save percentage of .880 is the worst in the playoffs, while the Oilers’ 4.33 goals-against margin also ranks last.
advertise
The Oilers signed Knoblauch to a three-year contract extension in October that will take effect next season through the 2028-29 season. They are obligated to pay him until another team hires him, and will be held liable if any wage discrepancy occurs during that time.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
