Oilers Fire Jay Woodcroft After 3-9-1 Start to NHL Season; Kris Knoblauch to Be HC

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The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after the team’s disappointing 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 campaign, the team announced Sunday:

The 47-year-old took over during the 2021-22 season after Dave Tippett was fired, leading the Oilers to a 79-41-13 record in parts of three seasons and two playoff berths.

The Oilers will replace Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch, currently the head coach of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He previously coached superstar Connor McDavid with the OHL’s Erie Otters.

The Oilers lost in the Western Conference Finals in his first season and the second round of the playoffs last year. But the team’s brutal start to this season did him in.

“No one’s happy with where we’re at,” he told reporters on Thursday when asked if he was concerned about his job security. “We all own it. We can be better, and that’s where my focus is.”

The Oilers won 4-1 over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, offering what felt like a possible reprieve for Woodcroft. It wasn’t to be, and it’s fair to question if the head coach was really the biggest issue for these Oilers.

Edmonton goalies have a 3.92 goals-against average, the third-worst mark in the NHL, and a league-worst .866 save percentage. Superstar Leon Draisaitl has just one goal in his last 10 games. McDavid—who has exceeded 100 points six times in his career, put up 153 points last year and is the NHL’s best player—has just 10 points in 11 games (though an upper-body injury he dealt with earlier in the year might be playing a part).

“Everybody goes through struggles. We’re no different. We’re human. It’s been a really long time since we’ve gone through something like this,” McDavid told reporters on Friday. “It’s not fun. It’s not fun to go through it as a group.”

This time around, however, it cost Woodcroft his job. Knoblauch will be tasked with helping these Oilers regain their mojo and make a push for the postseason.

“I don’t think anyone obviously feels very good about their game or is feeling very confident out there,” McDavid added on Friday. “How do you instill that? If I had that answer, I probably wouldn’t be playing hockey. I’d be a billionaire somewhere. It’s not easy. Confidence is a tricky thing.”

Perhaps Knoblauch will have those answers.