Jay Woodcroft

Assistant Coach

Jay Woodcroft is in his first season as Assistant Coach of the Anaheim Ducks in 2025-26. Named to his role July 1, 2025, Woodcroft brings 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 joins 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 after leading the club to a 26-9-3 record upon his midseason hiring Feb. 10, 2022.

In 2022-23, Woodcroft and the Oilers 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). 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) and a 3-1 postseason series record.

In his 10 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.