Jay Woodcroft

Assistant Coach

Jay Woodcroft is in his second season as Assistant Coach of the Anaheim Ducks in 2026-27. Named to his role July 1, 2025, Woodcroft helped the Ducks to a club record for goals in a season (265) and had the most improved power play in the NHL with the largest year-over-year increase in goals scored (23 additional PPG). In the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Ducks set a franchise record in the First Round vs. Edmonton with a 50.0% rate (8-16) and a PPG in each of the six games. Woodcroft also oversees the club’s 6v5 situations where Anaheim had the second-most goals (9) in the NHL and helped the club set an NHL record with 19 tying or go-ahead goals in the final five minutes of regulation.    

Woodcroft has nearly 20 years of coaching experience in the NHL, helping clubs to a Stanley Cup championship, five Western Conference Final appearances and three Presidents’ Trophies. 

Woodcroft joined Anaheim after serving as Head Coach of the Edmonton Oilers across three seasons from 2022-24, leading the club to a 79-41-13 record in 133 regular-season games. He also guided Edmonton to the 2022 Western Conference Final ( the Oilers first Conference Final since 2006) after leading the club to a 26-9-3 record upon his midseason hiring Feb. 10, 2022. 

In 2022-23, Woodcroft and the Oilers won 50 games and also set an NHL record with the top power play in NHL history at 32.4% (89-for-275). The Oilers became the first team in NHL history to have four players each score 15 power-play goals in a season (Draisaitl, 32; McDavid, 21; Zach Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins, 15). Over the 2021-22 / 2022-23 Playoff Runs, the Oilers scored 31 post season power play goals ( the most out of any team in the NHL over that time span).   In 2022-23 the Oilers also led the NHL in short handed goals (18) and in  Total Offense scoring 325 goals for 3.96 GF / game. 

His .643 points pct (79-41-13) is the best in Oilers history by any Head Coach who helmed the team for at least 125 games. 

Prior to leading Edmonton, Woodcroft spent the prior seven seasons in the Oilers organization, including four as Head Coach of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors (2018-22) and three as Edmonton’s Assistant Coach (2015-18). He led Bakersfield to a 105-71-21 record, two Pacific Division titles (2018-19 and 2020-21) , a 17 game winning streak (2018-19)  and a 3-1 postseason series record. 

In his 11 seasons as an NHL Assistant Coach, Woodcroft has led his club’s respective power plays to top five finishes among NHL clubs in seven seasons. Woodcroft spent seven seasons as an Assistant Coach with the San Jose Sharks from 2008-15, including consecutive Western Conference Final appearances in 2010 and 2011. He helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup in 2008 while serving as Video Coach with the Red Wings from 2005-08, which also included a trip to the 2007 Western Conference Final. 

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Woodcroft served as an Assistant Coach for Canada at the 2015 World Championship (gold medal) and 2024 World Championship. He also was an Assistant Coach for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup. Woodcroft graduated with a degree in finance from the University of Alabama-Huntsville, where he also played four seasons and was an Academic All-American.