The Edmonton Oilers started the 2023-24 season off terribly with a 3-9-1 record before relieving Jay Woodcroft of his duties as head coach. Following his firing, they chose to hire Kris Knoblauch, who has been deemed their saviour as the team prepares to battle the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final starting on Thursday (May 23). While they have been playing extremely well, it’s hard to take the credit away from Knoblauch, who has seemingly turned the Oilers around and made them one of the toughest teams in the NHL to play against on a nightly basis.
The Oilers have been reaping the rewards of Knoblauch’s smarts as a coach, as they recently defeated the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. As the final four teams battle it out in hopes of making it to the Stanley Cup Final, the Jack Adams Award winner was recently announced, which is awarded annually to the best coach in the NHL for that particular season. Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks took it home this season, with Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators and Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets coming in as the runner-ups.
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After the announcement, the ballots were revealed and everyone could see which coaches around the NHL received votes. Knoblauch finished fifth in voting for the award, despite joining the team after the season began. While some were surprised he was that high, it’s hard to argue against his 46-18-5 regular season record since joining the team. As the Oilers prepare to try and make it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, it’s fantastic news that their new coach was able to get some recognition that was well deserved.
Knoblauch Deserved Recognition Despite Late Add
The Oilers added Knoblauch to their coaching staff after 13 games into the 2023-24 season. While he didn’t win the award for coach of the year this season, he deserved the votes he got. Taking a team from the bottom of the barrel and struggling where it looked like there was no hope and taking them to the Western Conference Final is a thing of beauty. In the final votes, he received three first-place votes for the award, meaning three people believed he was the most deserving of the award.
His calmness and leadership alone earned him some votes, but his ability to take over the dressing room and earn the respect of his players is a huge key. Several Oilers have spoken out during interviews between periods saying Knoblauch is someone they want to play for, and someone they believe is one of the smartest hockey minds in the game today. For someone who was only behind the bench for 69 games this season to get votes, it’s interesting to think about what he and the Oilers could accomplish in a full 82-game season.
The Oilers haven’t had a Jack Adams Award winner since Glen Sather won it in the 1985-86 season. Former head coach Dave Tippett finished seventh in voting following the 2019-20 season while another former head coach, Todd McLellan, finished third following the 2016-17 season where he helped the Oilers snap their decade-long playoff drought.
For Knoblauch, his focus will be on winning the more important trophy that he and the Oilers will be looking to win in June, which is the Stanley Cup. While the team’s focus will be on winning their first championship since 1990, Knoblauch getting some recognition as a rookie coach is something that has to motivate the team. Looking into the future as well, it’s hard to imagine Knoblauch isn’t a consistent finalist for the Jack Adams Award, and tougher to imagine that he won’t win it at least once.
The Oilers are back in action tonight (May 23) in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Stars. They will be looking to avoid being swept like the last time they made it there when the Colorado Avalanche took the series in four straight and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
