NHL Oilers Fire Tippett As Coach, Promote Woodcroft To Job

Montreal, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2022 ) :Dave Tippett was fired on Thursday as coach of the Edmonton Oilers after sputtering out of a playoff position following a hot start to the 2021-22 NHL campaign.

Oilers general manager Ken Holland, who also fired associate coach Jim Playfair, promoted Jay Woodcroft, coach of the Oilers' top developmental club, into the NHL coaching post.

Tippett went 95-62 with 14 overtime losses in three seasons with the Oilers. Edmonton reached the playoffs twice under Tippett after missing out for 12 of the prior 13 campaigns, but went 1-7 in the post-season after he replaced Ken Hitchcock in 2019.

The Oilers began this season 16-5 but have struggled since to stand 23-18-3, fifth in the Pacific division and 10th in the Western Conference, five points behind arch-rival Calgary for the final West playoff spot.

The flop came despite Edmonton boasting two of the NHL's three top scorers in center Leon Draisaitl on 64 points (33 goals and 31 assists) and Connor McDavid on 61 points (23 goals and 38 assists).

Holland, who arrived when Tippett did with the Oilers, had not changed a coach in mid-season since starting his executive career with Detroit in 1997.

"I don't believe in it," Holland said last month. "But I also understand there are times when possibly it needs to be done."Woodcroft, 45, coached the Bakersfield Condors for the past four seasons. The former assistant coach for three seasons at Edmonton and seven seasons at San Jose had been on the staff at Detroit when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008.

Tippett, 60, has a record of 648-475 with 134 overtime losses and 28 ties in 17 NHL seasons coaching the Oilers, Arizona Coyotes and Dallas stars. He became the fifth NHL coach to be fired this season, the second of the week after Montreal's Dominique Ducharme on Wednesday, and two others resigned.