Oilers fire Kris Knoblauch after 1st-round playoff exit that followed 2 Stanley Cup Final trips
Knoblauch coached the Oilers to the playoffs three times after taking over as a midseason replacement when Jay Woodcroft was fired following a bad start in November 2023.
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 30: Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch addresses the media after the game against the Anaheim Ducks in Game Six of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on April 30, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) NHLI via Getty Images EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Kris Knoblauch on Thursday, dismissing him after a first-round exit followed him guiding the team to consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final. Knoblauch coached the Oilers to the playoffs three times since taking over as a midseason replacement when Jay Woodcroft was fired following a bad start in November 2023.
They won 166 of their 286 total games behind the bench, and Knoblauch’s . 623 regular-season points percentage ranks sixth among active NHL coaches. The Oilers are now set for their sixth coach since Connor McDavid entered the NHL in 2015 and became the best player in the world, skating alongside fellow MVP Leon Draisaitl.
The two still have not won a championship, now going into their 12th season together.