Former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft spotted with new NHL team
Jay Woodcroft, who last coached the Edmonton Oilers, was seen at Philadelphia Flyers' training camp with John Tortorella sparking major speculation about his future.
We haven't heard much from Jay Woodcroft since the Edmonton Oilers fired him in November last year. Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson were let go after a rough start to the 2023-24 season, where the Oilers began with a 3-9-1 record. This was a surprising downfall for a coach who had led the team to a 76-31-11 record in the previous two seasons.
Kris Knoblauch, who was coaching the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate, replaced Woodcroft as the Oilers' head coach, with former Oiler Paul Coffey joining as the defense coach. Under Knoblauch, the Oilers turned things around, finishing the season 46-18-5 and making it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers.
After his dismissal, Woodcroft took some time off before returning to hockey in Europe. In the spring, he joined Andre Tourigny's staff with Team Canada at the World Hockey Championships in Czechia.
«Right around the month of January when the calendar flipped, I was eager to flex some hockey muscles and eager to be around the game a little bit more. I spent the month of February over in Europe and was able to be around two quality organizations in two different countries. I was welcomed in by two different coaching staffs at two different points in their year. I picked up a few things here and there, and I'm certainly going to bring some of it in to my next opportunity wherever and whenever that might be.»
Although the NHL saw a few coaching changes this summer, including Sheldon Keefe being replaced by Craig Berube in Toronto and Keefe landing with the New Jersey Devils, Woodcroft hasn't found a new job yet. However, he'll be attending an NHL training camp this fall. According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, veteran coach John Tortorella invited Woodcroft to join the Philadelphia Flyers training camp for a few days.
Woodcroft began his NHL career as a video coach with the Detroit Red Wings in 2005-06. He later followed Todd McLellan to the San Jose Sharks and then the Oilers in 2015-16. After coaching Edmonton's AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, Woodcroft took over as the Oilers' head coach in 2021-22 and led them to the Western Conference Final.
While his time with the Oilers ended abruptly, Woodcroft had great success in developing players and getting the most out of his team. Though he may need to take an assistant role first, Woodcroft has proven he deserves another shot as an NHL head coach.
| POLL | ||
20 SEPTEMBRE | 105 ANSWERS Former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft spotted with new NHL team Do you think Jay Woodcroft will coach a new NHL team this season? | ||
| Yes, as head coach | 28 | 26.7 % |
| Yes, as an assistant | 40 | 38.1 % |
| No | 37 | 35.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
