Kris Knoblauch Secures His Future with the Oilers
EDMONTON, Alberta – The Edmonton Oilers have extended the contract of their coach, Kris Knoblauch, for three more years, securing his stay until the 2028-29 season.
Knoblauch has led the Oilers to two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals since taking over on November 12, 2023, replacing Jay Woodcroft.
After a 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 season under Woodcroft, Edmonton posted a 48-16-5 record with Knoblauch before reaching the final, where they fell in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
In his first full season at the helm, the 47-year-old coach, originally from Imperial, Saskatchewan, recorded a 48-29-5 record. The Oilers advanced with a 12-4 performance in three rounds of playoffs, but again lost the final against Florida, this time in six games.
Knoblauch was in his fifth season as coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Rangers, when he received the opportunity to coach the Oilers in the NHL.
Previously, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017 to 2019, and coached Oilers captain Connor McDavid for three seasons with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League.
Knoblauch also played junior hockey for the Edmonton Ice of the Western Hockey League and spent five years playing at the University of Alberta.
