Jay Woodcroft San Jose Sharks - Assistant Coach

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Jay Woodcroft was named assistant coach of the San Jose Sharks prior to the 2008-09 season. He is responsbile for designing the penalty kill schemes, working with the centers on faceoff technique and pre-scouting the opposition for the Sharks. He plays a key role in in-game adjustments by being the Sharks’ "eye in the sky."

A former member of the Detroit Red Wings coaching staff with Todd McLellan, Woodcroft spent three seasons as the Red Wings video coach and was a member of their 2008 Stanley Cup Champions. His responsibilities included collaborating with McLellan and the other Detroit coaches, watching games in the press box while on live headset with the bench and offering analysis. He controlled and managed the team’s video capture and editing system and was responsible for presenting video breakdowns to staff and players during intermissions, as well as preparing scouting reports for game
preparation and breakdowns of situations/individual player performances for postgame review.

Woodcroft joined the Red Wings following a six-year minor league career. He spent 2004-05 in Germany playing for the Stuttgart Wizards. Woodcroft’s North American professional experience included time with the Corpus Christi Rayz (Central Hockey League), Flint Generals (United Hockey League), Anchorage Aces (West Coast Hockey League), Missouri River Otters (UHL) and Jackson Bandits (ECHL).

Before playing pro hockey, the Toronto native spent four seasons on a full scholarship with the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where he was an Academic All-American and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in finance.

Woodcroft’s brother, Todd, is an amateur scout for the Washington Capitals while his other brother, Craig, played professional hockey in Europe for several years and collegiately at Colgate University and played for Team Canada.

Woodcroft and his wife Jaclynn reside in Santa Clara.