Former Oilers coach Woodcroft could land new NHL gig: report
Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft may not be out of the job for long.
After getting fired by the Oilers in early November after a brutal 3-9-1 start to the season, Woodcroft hit the job market with an impressive resume. While acting as head coach, Woodcroft had the best points percentage in Oilers franchise history at .643.
His performance with the team impressed at least one member of the organization who has since left and now has significant influence over another NHL team.
In a recent column, Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons wrote that Ottawa Senators’ president of hockey operations and current interim GM, Steve Staios, would consider hiring Woodcroft as the team’s head coach.
“When he was with the Oilers, Steve Staios became a fan of coach Jay Woodcroft,” wrote Simmons. “Should Staios and owner Michael Andlauer determine a coaching change is necessary with the Senators, don’t be surprised if Woodcroft is the choice to replace DJ Smith.”
Staios having potential interest in Woodcroft is no surprise. During his time serving as a special advisor in Edmonton, the Oilers were very successful with Woodcroft behind the bench. The team advanced to the playoffs in both years and won three playoff series.
The Oilers fan base was split on whether firing Woodcroft and hiring Kris Knoblauch as his replacement was the right idea. For many, it seemed rash to fire a coach with such a good record over a poor stretch of 13 games.
Bringing in Knoblauch, who coached Connor McDavid with the OHL’s Eerie Otters, also brought up questions as to who was making the decisions for the Oilers. To some, it seemed like McDavid was pulling some of the strings after his former agent Jeff Jackson was hired as president of hockey operations over the summer.
These are claims that McDavid reportedly hates and has denied.
Of course, for the Senators to hire Woodcroft, they would have to fire current head coach Smith, which could potentially come soon. After a hot start to the season, the Senators have faltered and now hold a 9-10-0 record and an impatient fan base that hasn’t seen playoff hockey since 2017.
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