The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Kris Knoblauch, reports TSN's Ryan Rishaug.
The Oilers crashed out in the first round against the Anaheim Ducks after losing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals under Knoblauch. 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 with Knoblauch in his first NHL head coaching gig.
Knoblauch was previously head coach for the New York Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford from 2019-23 and 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. Cassidy was fired by the Golden Knights with only eight games left in the regular season. He guided Vegas to its Stanley Cup title in 2023.
The 47-year-old Knoblauch had signed a three-year extension beginning in 2026-27 in October.
McDavid called the Oilers "an average team all year" after 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.
