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The Edmonton Oilers have dismissed head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Mark Stuart, the team confirmed on Thursday.
General manager Stan Bowman announced the decision in a statement, saying, “Following a thorough review of this past season, we believe these changes are needed. We are grateful for the contributions both Kris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them the best moving forward.”
No replacement for Knoblauch or Stuart has been named yet.
Knoblauch’s firing comes after a disappointing 2025-26 season, which ended with the Oilers losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Anaheim Ducks in six games.
Knoblauch was hired in November 2023 after the Oilers started that season 3-9-1 and last in the NHL standings, despite having stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the roster.
Under Knoblauch, Edmonton quickly improved and surged to the Stanley Cup Final, falling to the Florida Panthers in a Game 7 battle. The Oilers made the final again 12 months later but lost to the Panthers in six games. This spring, the team’s playoff run ended with a Game 6 defeat to the Ducks.
After signing a three-year contract extension last October, Knoblauch’s second season saw the Oilers struggle to maintain the same form. Even with elite players up front, the team found consistency elusive.
Goaltending was a persistent issue, with Bowman trading Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry—a move that failed to pay off. In addition, offensive depth and defensive weaknesses continued to trouble Edmonton.
The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division but allowed more goals than any other playoff team. Their power play ranked first in the league, but penalty killing sat at a disappointing 20th.
Edmonton started its playoff series with a win against the Ducks but stumbled after losing four of the next five games. Both McDavid and Draisaitl voiced their frustration following the loss.
“We’ve been searching for consistency all year, and we didn’t find it here in the playoffs,” McDavid said. “It’s tough. We were an average team all year. An average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed.”
Draisaitl shared similar sentiments and stressed the need for major improvements.
“In what world do you have the best player in the world on your team and you’re not looking to win?” said Draisaitl. “I know we’re looking to win, but we need to be better — we have to be better. There’s no way around it. We have to improve.
“[McDavid’s] signed for two more years, and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here right now. We have to get significantly better.”
Knoblauch, originally from Imperial, Saskatchewan, coached McDavid in junior hockey with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League before spending two seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. He then led the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack from 2019 to 2023 before joining the Oilers.
During his time in Edmonton, Knoblauch compiled a 135-77-21 regular-season record and a 31-22 playoff mark.
