Oilers Hopeful Raves About Paul Coffey

Caleb Kerney

Oct 3, 2024, 17:30

Caleb Kerney

Oct 3, 2024, 17:30

The Edmonton Oilers did well to have Paul Coffey return behind the bench.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images - Oilers Hopeful Raves About Paul Coffey

EDMONTON -- It's not every day that you are coached by someone in the hockey hall of fame.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgtf8a0fo7w[/embed]

Unless you play for the Edmonton Oilers.

Even though Kris Knoblauch is going into his first full season behind the Oilers' bench, he has someone riding shotgun with tremendous experience.

Experience playing as an elite defenseman in the NHL.

Paul Coffey was brought on board with Knoblauch last November when the team got off to a horrendous start under Jay Woodcroft. With the coaching staff's alternate approach to how they coach their defensemen, it's a move that has paid massive dividends.

And now the newcomers are noticing.

Travis Dermott scored his first pre-season goal and spoke to the media after the game. He raved about Coffey's impact on him as a player.

"Cof (Paul Coffey) is behind me giving me taps and telling me to get up in the play pretty much every shift I'm out there," Dermott said. "That really goes far for players."

"I don't know how many people behind this TV can see that but it speaks volumes to the type of guy that he is," Dermott continued. "You really trust his voice and everything he's saying."

"All of us players know when we make a mistake, we've been doing this our whole lives so to come back to the bench and have a coach yell at you really doesn't do much."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGaf7Wi-8F8[/embed]

This speaks to the quality of approach that the Oilers coaching staff employs. Knoblauch and Coffey are very calm individuals; nearly every player talks about this.

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