Oilers sign head coach Woodcroft to 3-year deal
The Edmonton Oilers have signed head coach Jay Woodcroft to a three-year deal, the team announced Tuesday.
Woodcroft piloted the Oilers to the Western Conference Final after taking over behind the bench in February. Edmonton fired Dave Tippett after the team lost 16 of its previous 23 games. The Oilers went 26-9-3 under Woodcroft.
Edmonton saw marked improvements under Woodcroft in several key categories.
| Coach | Pts% | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Tippett | .557 | 3.18 | 3.32 | 27.6% | 76.7% |
| Jay Woodcroft | .724 | 3.82 | 2.76 | 24.1% | 82.1% |
The 45-year-old Woodcroft captured a Stanley Cup in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings as a video coach. He also made two consecutive Western Conference Final appearances with the San Jose Sharks as an assistant coach in 2010 and 2011.
Woodcroft has been a member of the Oilers organization since 2015-16. He was the head coach of the team's AHL affiliate for parts of four seasons before replacing Tippett.