Edmonton Oilers Fire Head Coach And Name Replacement

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett.

Hearing Dave Tippett is out in Edmonton. More to come…
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) February 10, 2022

This news just comes one day after the Oilers fell to the Chicago Blackhawks by a 4-1 final score. After an excellent start to the season, the Oilers have dropped in the standings rapidly and sport a 23-18-3 record. With this, they trail the Calgary Flames by five points for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

There had been rumblings since their extremely rough stretch that Tippett's job could be in jeopardy. Yet, as recently as less than a month ago, general manager Ken Holland showed zero interest in firing Tippett. He even commented that he doesn't believe in firing coaches mid-season and never did before. However, it appears his philosophy has changed, but one can't blame him in this situation. Change is desperately needed.

Speaking of change, it's also been reported that Jay Woodcroft is the new head coach of the Oilers. The 45-year-old has been serving as the head coach of Edmonton's AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Yet, he now is being handed this big opportunity with the NHL club and will be aiming to help them get once again secure a playoff spot.