The latest wave of in-season NHL coaching changes has arrived in Edmonton, as the Oilers fired Dave Tippett on Thursday after a pair of lopsided losses.
The move came a day after the Canadiens parted ways with Dominique Ducharme and is the seventh coaching change in the league since the season began.
The Oilers elevated Jay Woodcroft, head coach of their Bakersfield AHL affiliate, to the top job in Edmonton. He will bring along assistant Dave Manson to replace Jim Playfair, who was fired along with Tippett.
The Sporting News breaks down why the Oilers decided to make a move now:
Why did the Oilers fire Dave Tippett?
Edmonton showed patience with coach Dave Tippett during a rough stretch in December and January that saw the team win just two of 15 games, with 11 of those defeats coming in regulation.
While the Oilers had appeared to be pulling out of that slump by taking points in six consecutive games, back-to-back blowout losses to the Golden Knights and Blackhawks the last two nights apparently was enough for general manager Ken Holland, who has seen his team squander a hot start to the season.
Entering Thursday's games, Edmonton sits five points back of Calgary for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. The talent is there for the Oilers with All-Stars Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid healthy and contributing, and Holland will hope the midseason change sparks the entire team to close the gap and make it back to the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
Tippett, 60, got Edmonton there in his first two seasons at the helm after a two-year absence prior to his arrival, but the Oilers washed out in their opening series both times, getting swept by the Jets last year.
The former Stars and Coyotes coach leaves Edmonton with a regular-season record of 95-62-14.
Who is Jay Woodcroft?
Edmonton's hopes for a turnaround rest with Jay Woodcroft, who will get his first chance as an NHL head coach at age 45.
The Toronto native was in his fourth season leading the Bakersfield Condors, compiling a 105-71-21 regular-season record with the AHL team.
Woodcroft was in his fourth season in #Condorstown.
— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) February 10, 2022
In that time:
🔵105 wins (.586%)
🟠2 division titles, a franchise-high 42 win season, and 3 series victories
🔵13 players made @NHL debuts #Condorstown | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/9Ii4wku1Fw
Woodcroft is a Todd McLellan protege, having worked alongside him as a video coach with the Red Wings before moving to San Jose in 2008 as an assistant when McLellan got his first head coaching job with the Sharks.
Woodcroft followed McLellan to Edmonton in 2015 and worked behind the bench with him for three seasons before getting the chance to run his own show in Bakersfield.
Holland said at a news conference Thursday that Woodcroft will coach the rest of the season and the team will reevaluate the coaching situation then.
