The Copper & Blue, an Edmonton Oilers community

Steve Tambellini has known Renney for at least fifteen years, since Renney was with the Canucks. The Oilers have had literally months to make up their minds in terms of what to do wtih Renney. It is bizarre that they now need to meet and evaluate what to do.

"He's an NHL player.Would be great if he came to camp next year.Hope he contributes to our team but if not some other team." Renney on Omark

He loves the puck. I love the fact that he wants the responsibility of it, and he's ready, willing, and able to do extraordinary things with it. Having said that, with Linus and others there are points in time where you have to give it up to get it back, and trying to manufacture something that isn't there against teams that check so well, and take time and space away so well, you've really got to be careful with that. At the same time, as I say that, there's an awful lot generated off of him with the puck on his stick tonight.

I think I’ve found my defining moment for the season. For inexplicable reasons Renney puts MacIntyre out for two consecutive own zone faceoffs at home in the second period (I’m pretty sure neither was the result of an icing). Predictably MacIntyre takes a penalty. The Oilers mercifully kill it off and push the puck towards Toronto’s zone as the penalty expires. Instead of going straight to the bench like hired knuckles should, MacIntyre gets out of the box and tries to join the play. The Oiler on the bench (Brule, I think) reasonably believes there’s no way in hell MacIntyre does anything but get his ass off the ice so he jumps over prematurely and the Oilers are subsequently whistled for too many men.

"With those three guys, they were maybe just trying to do the extraordinary thing which hurt them to the point of doing too much standing and not being as participatory as they needed to be."

"We’re comfortable with Ryan anywhere. He’s an intelligent player that wants to make the most of every minute he spends in the National Hockey League. With that, you have a captive audience and a guy that works hard to execute."

I think the biggest mistake of all is organizations that really project a player as being in the starting lineup on opening night, and that’s very dangerous.

The Edmonton Oilers have asked for permission to speak to former New York Rangers bench boss Tom Renney about their vacant coaching job.