When the Edmonton Oilers named Kris Knoblauch head coach in November 2023, many weren’t sure what to make of it. He wasn’t a big-name hire. There was no Stanley Cup ring, no dramatic press conference, no chest-pounding promises. But a funny thing happened: the team started winning—and, more importantly, started playing with purpose.
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Here are seven cool things about the quietly impressive man now running the Edmonton bench.
Cool Thing 1. Knoblauch Took Over a Mess—and Didn’t Flinch
The Oilers began the 2023-24 season with a 3–9–1 record, dead in the water, and looking for answers. Jay Woodcroft was out. Enter Knoblauch—calm, unshaken, and immediately in control. Instead of flipping the table, he just… settled things down.
Knoblauch simplified the structure, gave players clear roles, and reminded everyone they were still a good hockey team. Suddenly, the panic disappeared. The results didn’t take long to follow. Sometimes the right move isn’t the loudest one—it’s the one that gets the room to exhale.
Cool Thing 2. He’s Been Building Toward This for Years
Knoblauch didn’t land this job out of nowhere. His résumé is full of winning hockey. In Erie, he coached the Otters to four straight 50-win seasons, the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to do it. That team featured names like Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat—and yes, a teenage Connor McDavid.
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Before that, Knoblauch captured a Western Hockey League title with Kootenay in his very first season as a head coach. Later, he led the Hartford Wolf Pack to strong American Hockey League campaigns, developing top New York Rangers prospects and earning plenty of respect in the process. He’s taken the long road. It shows.
Cool Thing 3. Knoblauch Coaches Like a Teacher, Not a Drill Sergeant
Knoblauch’s background isn’t just hockey—he has a teaching degree from the University of Alberta. You can see it in how he handles players. He’s not a yeller. He’s not constantly juggling lines or handing out quick-hook benchings.
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