BLOG: Knoblauch's respectable approach resonating with Oilers players

EDMONTON, AB – Kris Knoblauch is here to stay in Oil Country.

It's an exciting day for the head coach, his players and the entire fanbase after the pride of Imperial, Saskatchewan put pen to paper on a three-year extension with the club on Friday morning, locking in for three more seasons to continue what he’s helped build here over the last two seasons in Edmonton.

Knoblauch’s extension will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, and he’s overjoyed to continue his stay in the city that’s been vital to putting him on the path towards being a highly successful coach and one day, hopefully, a Stanley Cup champion with the Oilers.

“I'm obviously very excited just to be a part of this team,” Knoblauch said. “The last couple of years have been phenomenal. To be able to work for this organization, I'm very blessed with having talented players, but also players with outstanding character who want to win.”

“Also, the staff and everybody else I’ve worked with have been fabulous. Overall, I’d especially like to thank the Katz family for hiring me, having faith in me, and allowing me to be part of this well-run organization.”

The 47-year-old immediately hit the ground running upon his appointment behind the Oilers’ bench on Nov. 12, 2023, following the team’s slow 3-9-1 start to their campaign almost two years ago under then head coach Jay Woodcroft.

He became the first head coach in NHL history to record two winning streaks of at least eight games before the 25-game mark of their coaching career, and also helped the Oilers assemble a 16-game win streak from Dec. 21, 2023 to Jan. 27, 2024 in his first season, which tied the League record for the most consecutive wins that was set in 2026-17 by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Since his first game as an NHL bench boss against the Islanders just one day after being appointed head coach of the Oilers, Knoblauch’s 94-47-10 record over 151 regular-season games (.656 win percentage) ranks first in franchise history, while his presence and leadership have helped guide the team to two consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances with a 29-19 playoff record.

Knoblauch became the first head coach in more than 55 years to reach the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons, and just the sixth coach in NHL history to achieve the feat.

Identified as an exceptional communicator and a strong candidate for the job by Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations Jeff Jackson during his time as head coach of the OHL’s Erie Otters, Knoblauch's approachable presence brings a lot of calm to the locker room that resonates with the players.

“It's exciting for the team,” defenceman Darnell Nurse said. “He's brought a lot to our group, especially the calm and poise in high-pressure situations. So as a player, you always know where you're at with him, and he always brings positive energy and emotion to the rink. So for us, it's great to see him around for a long time.”

“When you're playing the playoffs and some of the situations we've been in, there's a lot of pressure. He's been able to bring a calm presence to the rink, so when you get into the locker room, into meetings and into games, it silences a lot of that outside noise.”

For Knoblauch, earning the trust of his players begins with showing them respect – something that was driven home during his playing career as a member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears by the coaches he played under. Those moments always resonated with him, and no matter what level he's coached over his career behind the bench – WHL, AHL or NHL – he's never strayed from his core values of being respectable and genuine to his players.

"With any coaching situation, I think the most important thing is just being yourself and not trying to do something that would be out of character," he said. "You might be able to pull it off for a little while, but the players pick up on that and it's phony, or it's not genuine and sincere, and it won't go very far. I've tried to treat every coaching situation I've had as the same.

"It's just different players, different levels, but they're still hockey players, and coaching hockey is still coaching hockey."

Knoblauch feels lucky to have come into a situation in Edmonton where they already had great character on the roster, with the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and more, whom he thinks deserve more praise than he does for the team's success in recent years.

From the onset of his tenure, those players responded positively to the changes he brought in, and it takes more than just a coach bringing new ideas – to which Knoblauch has been thankful for the high-quality people and players he has around him.

"We just adjusted some things, things of attention to detail on what could move the needle and what could be improved, and I think we responded really well," he said. "But it was always a good hockey team. It was always going to correct itself sooner or later. Things changed quite quickly, but I don't think it was just myself coming in that had such an impact.

"We have not only the best players, but also high-character team players. There are some good quality players out there, high-talent superstars, and we have two of the best on our team. I feel fortunate to have them, but I feel even more fortunate in how high their character is, how much they want to win, and how much they have. They know the importance of the team environment and the contributions of others."