Former Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft breaks his silence about being fired

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Finnegan Frost
October 22, 2024 (5:21)

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In a recent interview with TSN hockey insider Pierre Lebrun, former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft opened up about his personal feelings regarding being fired by the team.

When Jay Woodcroft was initially hired by the Edmonton Oilers, he was an instant fan favorite. Dave Tippett was the former bench boss before Woody came in, and his impact on the team was almost instant. Jay Woodcroft, former coach of Bakersfield in the American Hockey League found lots of immediate success in Oil Country, but after starting the 2023-24 season with a 9-3-1 record, he was swiftly replaced by current head coach Kris Knoblauch.

Jay Woodcroft, who currently resides in Edmonton, is looking for his next opportunity to coach another NHL team. During the preseason, he teamed up with Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella as an observe. Many NHL enthusiast thought that a potential job opportunity was coming his way, but nothing came to fruition.

Despite being fired, Jay admits that the tough start to the 2023-24 season ultimately lead to his dismissal.

»At the time, my belief was that the more we could get the group to focus, the more likely we were going to be able to break through the early doldrums of the season. There were a lot of things being done correctly. We were generating numerous chances but had a tough time converting. And we weren't giving up a whole lot, but what we did seemed to be going in our net.»
- Jay Woodcroft

According to Liam McCormick of Oilers Daily, Woodcroft admitted it was his responsibility to get more out of the team.

»As the coach at the time, I felt we were 90 percent there,» Woodcroft said. «I felt the team was really ready to take a step. I didn't get to see it through, but I saw lots of good things from a lot of good people. A lot of leadership. I saw a lot of role acceptance. And I saw the team on the cusp. The team ended up going on to do some good things.»
- Jay Woodcroft

In parts of three seasons as a head coach, Woodcroft has an impressive 79-41-14 record. He'll surely get an NHL job somewhere else soon when team get to firing their coaches early this year as usual. For now, he's still in his home in Edmonton, awaiting the next opportunity and taking the time to better himself as a coach. Oilers fans will certainly be wishing him the best in his next endeavour.