Woodcroft tossed late in Oilers' blowout loss to Canucks
Published
It appears the frustration level has reached a boiling point for the Edmonton Oilers.
Late in the third period of Monday's 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, head coach Jay Woodcroft received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a game misconduct.
After the game, Woodcroft told the media that it wasn't a profanity laced tirade that got him ejected and that he thought he asked a fair question to the referee.
The Oilers, who were considered to be Stanley Cup contenders entering the 2023-24 season, have lost seven of their last eight games and hold a 2-8-1 overall record.
They sit second last in the league, just ahead of the winless San Jose Sharks, who they play on Thursday in their next game.
Woodcroft, 47, took over head coaching duties from Dave Tippett in February of 2022, eventually reaching the Western Conference Final that season.
Woodcroft and the Oilers picked up right where they left off last season, finishing with 109 points – the fourth highest total in team history – and went into the playoffs with the second-most wins in the Western Conference before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.
The Toronto native has been with the Oilers since 2015 when he joined the team as an assistant coach under Todd McLellan