Oilers introduce Todd McLellan as head coach

Here come the Oilers.

Edmonton Oilers president and general manager Peter Chiarelli introduced Todd McLellan as the 14th coach in franchise history at a press conference Tuesday in the Alberta capital.

His hire - in the thick of the Mike Babcock sweepstakes - comes two days after leading Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Hockey Canada to a gold medal at the World Championship in Prague, and less than a month after his split with the San Jose Sharks.

"I'm a Western Canada boy, my wife is from Western Canada, I love the conference, my gut told me it was right," McLellan said.

It represents another coup for the suddenly surging franchise, as in addition to winning the rights to draft Connor McDavid, they've bolstered their hockey operations with three national-level minds over the past month.

"This is a special player. He has a special skill set," McLellan said.

"It's our job to make sure we get the most out of him."

For his contributions, former interim coach Todd Nelson's future remains cloudy. McLellan, who hasn't spoken to Nelson, told reporters that he will take some time to piece together his staff, though it's believed Jay Woodcroft will be included.

McLellan boasts excellent coaching lineage as a product of the Detroit Red Wings' system and owns a career .637 winning percentage. He steered the Sharks into the playoffs in six of his seven seasons in San Jose.

Edmonton hasn't reached the postseason since its surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final in the spring of 2006.