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The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson on Sunday.
The team announced Kris Knoblauch will take over as head coach. He will be assisted by former Oilers defenceman Paul Coffey.
The move was made even after the Oilers stopped a losing streak Saturday night, with a 4-1 victory in Seattle. The win was only the third of the season for Edmonton in 13 games.
Woodcroft took over the reins with the team part way through the 2021-22 season after Dave Tippett was let go. He posted a record of 79-41-13 in 143 games behind the Oilers’ bench.
He also guided the team to the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2022, and to the second round last season. The Oilers lost to the Stanley Cup champions both years: Colorado in 2022 and Las Vegas in 2023.
Knoblauch comes to Edmonton after coaching the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League. He has assistant coaching experience at the NHL level with Philadelphia.
He was the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters when Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid was a star at the major junior level.
The Oilers will release more details at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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