List of Edmonton Oilers head coaches

Last updated

Glen Sather coached the Oilers for 842 regular games and 126 playoff games in the NHL. Glen Sather, 2006 NHL Awards.jpg
Glen Sather coached the Oilers for 842 regular games and 126 playoff games in the NHL.

The Edmonton Oilers are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Oilers were established in 1972 as part of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and joined the NHL as one of four franchises during the 1979 NHL expansion. [1] There have been 23 head coaches in their franchise history; seven during their time in the WHA (1972–1979) [2] and seventeen during their time in the NHL (1979–present). [3]

Contents

The Oilers had seven different head coaches during the seven seasons that they played in the WHA. Ray Kinasewich was the first head coach for over 30 games of the original Alberta Oilers, with Hall of Famer (and Top 100 Players of All Time) Glenn Hall as the teams first Assistant Coach. [4] Bill Hunter, who was the team's owner and general manager at the time served three terms. [5] Glen Sather became a player-coach during the 1976–77 season, but retired as a player at the end of the year. Sather then coached the team for two more seasons in the WHA, and maintained the position when the Oilers were admitted as an expansion franchise into the NHL.

Since joining the NHL for the 1979–80 season, the Oilers have had twelve different head coaches. Sather has the most games coached and most wins as head coach. [6] Sather stepped down before the 1980–81 season, but after the Oilers started the season with only four wins in their first eighteen games he returned to the bench. Sather remained head coach for the remainder of that season plus eight more seasons, during which time the team won four Stanley Cups, in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988. For the 1985–86 NHL season, Sather won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success". [7] Sather stepped down as coach a second time after the 1988–89 season, and John Muckler coached the 1990 championship team. Sather would have one more stint as head coach, relieving Ted Green after the team posted just three victories in the first 24 games of the 1993–94 season. Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 in the builder category.

Former [8] Oilers head coach, Craig MacTavish, played for the team from 1985 to 1994. He was a member of the 1987, 1988, and 1990 Stanley Cup winning teams, and he was team captain from 1992 to 1994. As of the 2023–24 season, he ranks second in the number of Oilers games coached.

The current head coach is Kris Knoblauch. [9]

Key

Coaches

WHA

No.NameSeasonsRegular SeasonPlayoffs
GCWLTWin %GCWLWin %
1 Ray Kinasewich 1972–73 45202320.467––––
2 Bill Hunter 1972–7326141110.5581010.000
3 Brian Shaw 1973–74 to 1974–75 137686360.5185140.200
–Bill Hunter1974–751961210.342––––
4 Clare Drake 1975–76 48182820.396––––
–Bill Hunter1975–763392130.3184040.000
5 Bep Guidolin 1976–77 63253620.413––––
6 Glen Sather 1976–77 to 1978–79 178957670.553238150.348

NHL

No.NameSeasonsRegular SeasonPlayoffs
GCWLTOTPts %GCWLWin %
1 Glen Sather [10] [11] 1979–80 80283913–0.4313030.000
2 Bryan Watson [12] [13] 1980–81 [A] 18495–0.361––––
–Glen Sather1980–81 to 1988–89 70241420286–0.65112389340.724
3 John Muckler [14] [15] 1989–90 to 1990–91 160756520–0.5314025150.625
4 Ted Green [16] [17] 1991–92 to 1993–94 [B] 1886510221–0.40216880.500
–Glen Sather1993–9460222711–0.458––––
5 George Burnett [18] [19] 1994–95 [C] 3512203–0.386––––
6 Ron Low [20] [21] 1994–95 to 1998–99 34113916240–0.4662810180.357
7 Kevin Lowe [22] [23] 1999–2000 8232261680.537 [D] 5140.200
8 Craig MacTavish [24] [25] 2000–01 to 2008–09 65630125247560.537 [E] 3619170.528
9 Pat Quinn [26] [27] 2009–10 822747–80.378––––
10 Tom Renney [28] [29] 2010–11 to 2011–12 1645785–220.415––––
11 Ralph Krueger [30] [31] 2012–13 481922–70.469––––
12 Dallas Eakins [32] [33] 2013–14 to 2014–15 [F] 1133663–140.381––––
13 Todd Nelson [34] [35] 2014–15 511725–90.422––––
14 Todd McLellan [36] [37] 2015–16 to 2018–19 [G] 266123119–240.50213760.538
15 Ken Hitchcock [38] 2018–19622628–80.484––––
16 Dave Tippett [39] [40] 2019–20 to 2021–22 [H] 1719562–140.5968170.125
17 Jay Woodcroft [40] 2021–22 to 2023–24 [I] 1337941–130.6432814140.500
18 Kris Knoblauch [9] 2023–24 to present694618500.7032515100.600

Notes

  1. ^ Watson coached the first 18 games of the 1980–81 season and was replaced by Sather.
  2. ^ Green coached the first 24 games of the 1993–94 season and was replaced by Sather.
  3. ^ Burnett coached the first 35 games of the 1994–95 season and was replaced by Low.
  4. ^ Lowe's win/loss/tie record is 32–34–16 for a points percentage of 0.537.
  5. ^ MacTavish's win/loss/tie record is 301–273–82 for a points percentage of 0.537.
  6. ^ Eakins coached the first 31 games of the 2014–15 season and was replaced by Nelson.
  7. ^ McLellan coached the first 20 games of the 2018–19 season and was replaced by Hitchcock.
  8. ^ Tippett coached the first 44 games of the 2021–22 season and was replaced by Woodcroft.
  9. ^ Woodcroft coached the first 13 games of the 2023–24 season and was replaced by Knoblauch.

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References

  1. ↑ "NHL – WHA Merger 30th Anniversary | The Hockey Writers". 2011-04-23. Archived from the original on 2011-04-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  2. ↑ "WHA Oilers Page - Coaches". homeoftheoilers.orgfree.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  3. ↑ "Edmonton Oilers Coaches". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  4. ↑ "WHA Oilers Page - Coaches". The Home of the Oilers. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  5. ↑ "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame | Stories". 2016-10-18. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  6. ↑ "Glen "Slats" Sather—Foundation of the Dynasty". Edmonton Oilers Heritage. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  7. ↑ "Trophies - Jack Adams Award". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  8. ↑ "Oilers relieve MacTavish of head coaching duties". edmontonoilers.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  9. 1 2 "Woodcroft fired as Oilers coach, replaced by Knoblauch". NHL.com. November 12, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Glen Sather's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  11. ↑ "Glen Sather Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  12. ↑ "Bryan Watson's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  13. ↑ "Bryan Watson Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  14. ↑ "John Muckler's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  15. ↑ "John Muckler Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  16. ↑ "Ted Green's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  17. ↑ "Ted Green Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  18. ↑ "George Burnett's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  19. ↑ "George Burnett Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  20. ↑ "Ron Low's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  21. ↑ "Ron Low Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  22. ↑ "Kevin Lowe's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  23. ↑ "Kevin Lowe Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  24. ↑ "Craig MacTavish's profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  25. ↑ "Craig MacTavish Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2008-05-22.
  26. ↑ "Pat Quinn hockey statistics & profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  27. ↑ "Pat Quinn NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  28. ↑ "Tom Renney hockey statistics & profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
  29. ↑ "Tom Renney Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
  30. ↑ "Ralph Krueger hockey statistics & profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
  31. ↑ "Ralph Krueger Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
  32. ↑ "Dallas Eakins hockey statistics & profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2014-04-14.
  33. ↑ "Dallas Eakins Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
  34. ↑ "Todd Nelson hockey statistics & profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  35. ↑ "Todd Nelson Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-04-12.
  36. ↑ "Todd McLellan named coach of Edmonton Oilers". NHL.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  37. ↑ "Todd McLellan NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record | Hockey-Reference.com". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
  38. ↑ "Oilers fire head coach Todd McLellan, hire Ken Hitchcock". Edmonton Journal.
  39. ↑ "New Oilers coach Dave Tippett embraces 'unique opportunity'". Sporting News. May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  40. 1 2 "RELEASE: Jay Woodcroft, Dave Manson join Oilers coaching staff". NHL.com. Retrieved 2022-02-10.

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