The Edmonton Oilers have just three wins through the team's first 13 games. Sunday, they announced a head coaching change, and a former Erie Otters' head coach is taking the lead with Edmonton.

The Oilers named Kris Knoblauch as head coach of the team, replacing Jay Woodcroft, who led the team for the last two-plus seasons.


Knoblauch coached the Erie Otters from 2012-2017. During his five seasons as head coach in Erie, the team won 50 or more games four times and advanced to the OHL Championship series twice. The Otters won the 2017 OHL Championship under Knoblauch. The new bench boss in Edmonton won the OHL Coach of the Year award in 2016.

Knoblauch has been the head coach for the New York Rangers affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack since 2019. He had amassed 119 wins and led Hartford to the American League Hockey postseason in 2023.


Before his time in Hartford, Knoblauch spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers.