June 21, 2022 by Eric Friesen

The Edmonton Oilers signed Head Coach Jay Woodcroft to a three-year contract extension that runs through 2024-25 on Tuesday. After coaching for 17 years at the professional level, Woodcroft finally had the opportunity to run his own bench in the NHL this past season.

The plan for Woodcroft to someday coach the Oilers was likely set in motion in 2018, when the organization reassigned him from an Assistant Coach on Todd McLellan’s staff to the Head Coach of the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL. That plan came to fruition in February.

Following a dismal 7-13-3 run that saw the Oilers fall out of the playoff picture, Woodcroft replaced Dave Tippett behind the bench in Edmonton, and immediately helped turn their season around. The 45-year-old made a smooth transition into his new role with the Oilers, having previously coached more than half of the roster at either the NHL or AHL levels.

Under Woodcroft, the Oilers went 26-9-3 in their final 38 games and clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. The Oilers also earned 104 points in 2021-22, which was their eighth 100-point season in franchise history and first since 2016-17. Woodcroft then guided the Oilers the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2006.

Related: Oilers name Jay Woodcroft as head coach

“I felt ready for this opportunity in February based on my preparation through 17 years in professional hockey,” said Woodcroft during his press conference with Oilers TV on June 8. “I felt ready heading into the playoffs, because I’ve been a part of a lot of playoff games in different fashions, or different job titles. But it wasn’t my first time in this league getting ready for a playoff series. I think when you work your way through, you learn different lessons along the way.”

Here’s where the Oilers ranked in the NHL after Woodcroft took over on February 11:

Points Percentage: .724 (Tied for 2nd)

Goal Differential: +40 (2nd)

Goal For Per Game: 3.82 (5th)

Goal Against Per Game: 2.76 (Tied for 5th)

Power-Play: 24.1% (Tied for 9th)

Penalty Kill: 82.1% (8th)

The decision to go with a younger, forward-thinking coach is a departure from the organization’s previous philosophy of employing a veteran NHL bench boss. Woodcroft is that type of intelligent, modern NHL coach the Oilers have needed, and best possible choice to coach the Connor McDavid-led Oilers.

Despite having less than half of a season to implement his systems in Edmonton, Woodcroft’s results were impressive. Now, he will be with this group from Day 1 of training camp, which should only increase the team’s chances of having more success in 2022-23.