Dave Tippett Is Out As Head Coach Of The Oilers

Dave Tippett has been relieved of his duties as coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson are expected to assume coaching duties immediately.

Assistant coach Jim Playfair has also been relieved.

Tippett was in the last year of his contract, but will not see it to the end.

Tippett’s time in Edmonton has been a difficult one to consume quietly. I don’t know if playing Mike Smith in back-to-back games after coming back from a month long injury was the straw that broke the camel’s back, but the optics of it were very poor after Smith allowed eight goals in two games. Up to this point, Tippett had survived a winless streak that hit twelve games.

Replacing Tippett is Jay Woodcroft.

Woodcroft has coached the Bakersfield Condors for the past four seasons. He spent the past decade split between the Oilers and the San Jose Sharks as an assistant. He’ll be joined by Dave Manson, who has spent this year and the last three as an assistant in Bakersfield.

Woodcroft’s promotion comes with a giant sigh of relief. In a year where the Oilers were supposed to be “all-in”, the arrival of Woodcroft might save them from being “all-out”.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.