Woodcroft on final days with Oilers: 'We were 90 per cent there'
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Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft has had a lot of time to reflect on his last days behind an NHL bench.
Woodcroft was heading into his second full season as head coach of the Oilers in 2023-24 after taking over from Dave Tippett on Feb. 10, 2022. After losing in the playoffs two years in a row to the eventual Stanley Cup champions (Colorado in 2022 and Vegas in 2023), Edmonton was armed with championship aspirations and something to prove.
Instead, the Oilers went 3-9-1 in their first 13 games and Woodcroft was fired and replaced by Kris Knoblauch. Edmonton then completely turned their season around under Knoblauch, making it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the Florida Panthers.
“As the coach at the time, I felt we were 90 percent there,” Woodcroft told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in an interview published to The Athletic Monday. “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. That’s a credit to all those players and staff who were able to get it done.”
In the 11 months since being fired, Woodcroft has kept himself busy, spending time with family, coaching with Team Canada at the 2024 World Championships, going to Prague with the NHL Coaches’ Association during the Global Series, and attending Philadelphia Flyers training camp at the invitation of John Tortorella.
“I’ve thrown myself into my personal development,” Woodcroft said. “So, what does that look like? For me, it starts with family. Having this time has allowed me to be fully present for my wife and kids and take full advantage of the everyday moments that, during the course of a regular NHL season and playoff run, you’re not there anymore.
“The second thing for me about how I’ve tried to use this time to my benefit, is studying human behaviours, studying people processes. There’s things as a coach that you think about over the years and you’re certainly intuitive about certain types of things, but when you study behavior properly and you’re thinking about how best to leverage people’s strengths, you’re intentional about doing things. I think that gives you a leg up when the time comes when it’s your next opportunity.”
LeBrun reports that Woodcroft interviewed with the New Jersey Devils multiple times before the job was given to Sheldon Keefe and that he was the second choice behind Dean Evason for the head coaching gig in Columbus.
Woodcroft spent nine years with the Oilers organization, including with the big club and the team’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors. While he can acknowledge now what he would’ve done differently with the Oilers, he has no regrets.
“When I look back, I look back at the whole,” Woodcroft said. “Not just a two-week window. And I think that’s how you get better. Are there moments that you might, with the benefit of hindsight, do something differently? Of course there are. But that’s what hindsight is. You’re able to look back at it through a different lens.”