The #Oilers have agreed to terms with Jay Woodcroft on a contract extension through the 2021-22 season. The 42-year-old led the @Condors to a 42-21-3-2 record in 2018-19, earning the Western Conference regular season title, as well as their first-ever @TheAHL playoff berth. pic.twitter.com/15CBjdsYwQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 12, 2019
It was a very good year for the kids in Bakersfield, and the man behind the bench was rewarded with a three year extension because of it. Jay Woodcroft is signed through the 2021-22 season, dispelling any rumours along the way that he would join Todd McLellan in Los Angeles.
EVERYBODY’S HAPPY NOWADAYS
So far, so good. One season is a limited amount of work to go on, but Woodcroft’s 2018-19 has plenty of reason to think positively.
- A handful of players under Woodcroft made their NHL debuts during the 2018-19 NHL season (including Patrick Russell, who signed on for one more year yesterday
- The Condors had an eleven win improvement in 2018-19 which lead to a 17 point improvement in the standings.
- The Condors finished first in the Pacific Division, sending them to the playoffs. They’d make it to the second round before losing to the San Diego Gulls,
I’VE SEEN THAT FACE BEFORE
Jay Woodcroft has three years of experience under Ken Holland while in Detroit. He worked with Todd McLellan as an assistant in San Jose for seven years. When Todd McLellan came to Edmonton, so did Woodcroft. Woodcroft had a very successful first season in Bakersfield, and he’ll be expected to bring more success next year and beyond.