EDMONTON 鈥� A day after the Edmonton Oilers made a coaching change, the players are still trying to process the shock.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 see it coming,鈥� said team captain Connor McDavid.
The reigning Hart Trophy winner told reporters he received the news via text message that head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson had been fired Sunday morning, a scheduled off day for the players.
鈥淚 loved playing for Woody, I loved playing for Mans 鈥� two guys I think are unbelievable coaches," he said. "I really think they鈥檒l be back in the league very, very soon.鈥�
Monday morning鈥檚 skate at Rogers Place was the team鈥檚 first full workout under new coach Kris Knoblauch. The Oilers (3-9-1) host the slumping New York Islanders (5-5-3) on Monday night. The Isles have piled up three regulation losses in a row.
Knoblauch had been coaching the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers鈥� American Hockey League affiliate, before coming to Edmonton, a city where he spent time as a Western Hockey League player and a member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
The 45-year-old from Imperial, Sask., was an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons and coached the Rangers for eight games on an interim basis when staff couldn鈥檛 be behind the bench due to COVID-19 protocols.
鈥淚t is quite different,鈥� said Knoblauch. 鈥淲hen I was there as an interim head coach, in New York, it was fun. There was no pressure on me, I was there behind the bench. Being in the NHL was exciting.
鈥淣ow, it鈥檚 a little bit different. When you鈥檙e a head coach here, and it鈥檚 your position, and your decisions that are being questioned and evaluated, obviously there鈥檚 a lot more pressure.鈥�
Knoblauch coached McDavid for three seasons with the OHL鈥檚 Erie Otters.
McDavid said he hasn鈥檛 really followed Knoblauch's progress in recent years 鈥� it鈥檚 more of a reintroduction than the continuation of a long-standing relationship.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really long time,鈥� said McDavid, who has just 10 points in 11 games one season after leading the league with 153 points. 鈥淗e was great in junior. I don鈥檛 know much about what he鈥檚 been up to. I know he鈥檚 been coaching, he鈥檚 been in the NHL as an assistant and the American League as a head coach.
"He鈥檚 a young voice, which is great because it resonates with a lot of the guys in this room. He鈥檚 someone I鈥檓 looking forward to working with.鈥�
McDavid said that Woodcroft 鈥渘ever lost the room鈥� despite the Oilers鈥� poor start to the season. That was echoed by Leon Draisaitl, who scored 52 times last season but has just five so far in 2023-24.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 agree more,鈥� said Draisaitl. 鈥淗e was a great coach. He鈥檚 going to have a lot of success wherever he鈥檚 going. There鈥檚 no way he lost anyone in this room.
"As players, we鈥檙e the ones on the ice, we鈥檙e as prepared as any team in the league for any given night. It鈥檚 on us to obviously be better.鈥�
For Draisaitl and McDavid, Knoblauch will be head coach No. 5.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it means anything,鈥� said Draisaitl. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a lot of success here, too. We鈥檝e won over 100 games (actually, 99 over the previous two regular seasons, with three more this campaign) over the last two years 鈥� people tend to forget that. It鈥檚 definitely not the start we wanted, but that鈥檚 on no one but us players.鈥�
Woodcroft was 79-41-3 in his coaching career with the Oilers.
Hall of Famer Paul Coffey takes over from Manson as the assistant in charge of the defensive corps.
Defenceman Darnell Nurse said he鈥檚 looking forward to hearing the legend鈥檚 perspectives on a daily basis.
鈥淭he way he sees the game, he had such a great career and had so much success in this league for a reason,鈥� said Nurse. 鈥淭o be able to pick his mind, and get a first-hand look, and some tips in-game and in action, it鈥檚 going to be huge for us.鈥�
Knoblauch said on Sunday that a new coach provides the players with a reset on the season, and gives a team he feels has been 鈥渂eaten down鈥� a chance to take a breath.
McDavid doesn鈥檛 quite see it that way.
鈥淥bviously, we don鈥檛 start zero, zero and zero. We start where we start," he said. "That being said, it is a fresh voice, a fresh face.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2023.
Steven Sandor, The Canadian Press
