EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers announced on Thursday that Hockey Canada’s Misha Donskov will be joining the club as a coaching consultant.
"We are excited to have Misha join our coaching staff,” said Oilers Head Coach Mike Babcock. “We believe his wealth of experience, people skills and professionalism will make our group better. We look forward to the positive impact he will have on our staff, players and the Oilers organization."
Donskov, 49, will continue his role as Hockey Canada’s Vice President of Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach while joining the Oilers in Edmonton for a select number of days at home each month.
“We consider this a tremendous experience for Misha, especially as we prepare to host the World Juniors with him as our head coach in December,” said Scott Salmond, Senior Vice President of High Performance and Hockey Operations with Hockey Canada. “Misha is a proven winner and a tremendous leader, and we are excited that he will continue to develop his skills through this new position with the Edmonton Oilers, which we know will positively impact both of our organizations on and off the ice.”
The London, Ontario native returns to the NHL after previously working as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars from 2023 until 2025 following seven seasons spent with the Vegas Golden Knights where he was the team’s Director of Hockey Operations from 2016 to 2020 and an assistant coach from 2019 until 2023, winning a Stanley Cup in 2023.
Donskov also spent time with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2001-04) and Atlanta Thrashers (2004-09) working as a team consultant before moving on to work as an assistant coach in the OHL with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67’s (2012-14).
On the International Stage, Donskov recently earned a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics as an assistant coach, a bronze medal at the 2026 World Junior Championship as an associate coach and gold medal at the 2025 4 Nations Faceoff as an assistant coach with Team Canada.
