The Edmonton Oilers are making a change behind the bench.
Kris Knoblauch was fired as head coach on Thursday, Sportsnet can confirm.
The move comes after reports emerged that the Oilers had asked to interview former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, but had permission withheld by their division rival.
Knoblauch, 47, took over at the helm of the Oilers in November 2023, replacing Jay Woodcroft.
He led Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Final both that season and the next, losing to the Florida Panthers each time.
The Oilers slipped this season, plodding through a middling regular season before falling in the first round in six games against the Anaheim Ducks.
After the loss, captain Connor McDavid said the team was "average all year." He and fellow superstar Leon Draisaitl agreed during season-ending availabilities that the franchise took "big steps back."
In March, McDavid praised Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper unprompted after the Oilers fell 5-2 to the Atlantic Division club.
"They have a great system. ... They all know what they’re doing all over the ice. It’s impressive. They’re a great team,” he said.
“They’re extremely well-coached, they’re extremely well-organized. They’re very rehearsed in everything they do. It’s very impressive. And when you do break them down, they have a heck of a goalie to backstop them," said McDavid, who later clarified that his comments were not a shot at Knoblauch.
Knoblauch, of Imperial, Sask., ends his Oilers career having coached 233 regular-season games with a 135-77-21 record. He was 31-22 in the post-season.
With McDavid and Draisaitl on board, the Oilers' Cup contention window remains open, though there is urgency with McDavid's contract due to expire in two seasons and his stated priority of winning his first championship.
The Oilers join the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings as teams with coaching vacancies.
