Ex-Oilers coach Woodcroft getting interest from Red Wings: report
Things appear to be heating up for former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft.
After being fired mid-season by the Oilers last season, Woodcroft has yet to be re-hired by an NHL team despite multiple vacancies coming and going over the last year. He is set to appear on Jeff Marek’s new podcast this week and now a new report from The Fourth Period has linked the Detroit Red Wings as a possible landing spot for the coach.
That is if the team opts to fire current head coach Derek Lalonde.
“Though Joel Quenneville has been linked as a possible candidate to replace Lalonde, multiple league sources have suggested to TFP that the Wings could pursue former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft as an option if the Wings make a change behind the bench,” the report read.
Red Wings GM looking at making changes https://t.co/Zb6elXLJDN
— The Fourth Period (@TFP) December 1, 2024
It is a bit surprising that Woodcroft has yet to make a return to the NHL with a new job. For the most part, he did a fantastic job coaching the Oilers, amassing a record of 79-41-13 and a sparkling points percentage of .643. On top of that, he helped the team win three playoff series and took them to the Western Conference Final in 2022.
As good as that is, his successor Kris Knoblauch has arguably been more impressive since stepping in, taking the Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season and possessing a .672 points percentage.
Woodcroft was behind the bench as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships alongside head coach AndrƩ Tourigny and fellow assistants Dean Evason and Steve Ott.
The underperforming Red Wings may make a move at the head coach spot, and this could finally be Woodcroft’s ticket back to the league.