Oilers fire coach Kris Knoblauch after 3 seasons

The Edmonton Oilers relieved Kris Knoblauch of his head coaching duties after three seasons, the team announced Thursday.

Also fired was assistant coach Mark Stuart.

"Following a thorough review of this past season, we believe these changes are needed," general manager Stan Bowman said. "We are grateful for the contributions both Kris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them the best moving forward."

No replacement was named. Whoever takes over stands to inherit a team that has more postseason appearances (81 games) than any team since 2022.

With superstar captain Connor McDavid and fellow former Hart Trophy recipient Leon Draisaitl in the lineup, the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final in Knoblauch's first two seasons behind the bench. They fell to the Florida Panthers in six games in 2024 and in seven games in 2025.

This season, Edmonton lost in six games to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.

The firing comes before Knoblauch's three-year contract extension through the 2028-29 season was set to begin. He signed that deal on Oct. 3, 2025.

Knoblauch, 47, posted a 135-77-21 record in the regular season and 31-22 mark in the playoffs. He took after the Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12, 2023.

According to the league, he was the first NHL coach in more than 55 years to take a team to the Stanley Cup Final in his first two seasons on the job.

--Field Level Media