The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Kris Knoblauch, the team announced Thursday.
The Oilers crashed out in the first round against the Anaheim Ducks after losing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals the two years prior. Edmonton finished second in the weak Pacific Division and 14th in the NHL with 93 points, an eight-point drop from 2024-25.
Edmonton tabbed Knoblauch in November 2023 after firing Jay Woodcroft. The Oilers went 135-77-21 over three seasons under Knoblauch, who assumed his first NHL head coaching gig with the team.
Knoblauch previously served as head coach of the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford from 2019-23 and as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-19. He also coached Oilers superstar Connor McDavid with the OHL's Erie Otters.
The Vegas Golden Knights reportedly prevented Edmonton from speaking to their former coach Bruce Cassidy earlier this week. Vegas fired Cassidy with only eight games left in the regular season. He guided the Golden Knights to their Stanley Cup title in 2023.
In October, the 47-year-old Knoblauch signed a three-year extension with Edmonton that was set to begin in 2026-27.
McDavid called the Oilers "an average team all year" following their first-round exit. He also praised the Tampa Bay Lightning's coaching under Jon Cooper in March, later clarifying that it wasn't intended as a jab at Knoblauch.
