The Edmonton Oilers have confirmed a report broken by TSN's Darren Dreger, that head coach Kris Knoblauch has come to an agreement on a multi-year contract extension.
GM Stan Bowman had said the team and the coach were in discussions and getting close a couple of days ago. Ahead of their matchup Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks, Bowman got a big piece of business done.
Bowman said, “We are working on Kris’ deal. We’re not at the end of it yet, but I’m confident we’re going to get there, and we’re very aligned on that." They settled on a three-year deal. Financials have not been disclosed.
Knoblauch has compiled a 94-47-10 record in 151 games as Oilers head coach, guiding Edmonton to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances against the Florida Panthers. The 47-year-old is 29-19 in the playoffs and is the first coach since Scotty Bowman to reach the Final in each of his first two seasons behind the bench.
He was brought in to replace Jay Woodcroft and has compiled one of the best win/loss records in hockey since joining the team.
As per the team's official site, "The Imperial, Saskatchewan native has guided the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances over his two seasons behind the bench, making him the first head coach in more than 55 years to reach the championship series in each of his first two seasons and just the sixth coach in NHL history to achieve the feat."
Knoblauch Locked In: A Vote of Confidence from the Oilers’ GM
General Manager Stan Bowman didn’t announce a new contract for Kris Knoblauch at yesterday’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABGlIqm0dgI&t=100s">press conference</a>, but his remarks left little doubt about how he views the coach’s role with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers">Edmonton Oilers</a> moving forward.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.