Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft is staying busy while he awaits another full-time opportunity.
The bench boss has been invited by John Tortorella to attend Philadelphia Flyers training camp as a special guest per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The experience is a chance for Woodcroft to sharpen his coaching skills as he awaits another opportunity at the highest level.
Tortorella is one of the most experienced head coaches across the entire league. The 66-year-old first became a head coach in the 1999-00 season and has since stood behind the bench for more than 1,500 NHL games.
The Flyers coach has a Stanley Cup on his resume, as he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the title in 2004. While some of his tactics are controversial, few coaches can match his resume or laundry list of experiences.
Another former #Oilers connection:
Jay Woodcroft is spending a couple days around the #Flyers for training camp as an invited guest of John Tortorella. Woodcroft is there to observe and watch, learning and adding to his toolset while waiting for his next opportunity.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 20, 2024
Woodcroft was named interim head coach for the Oilers in 2022 after Dave Tippet was fired. He led the team during the 2022-23 season, and the Oilers finished second in their division, eventually losing in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers fired Woodcroft last season after the team got off to an awfully slow start. Kris Knoblauch took over and led the team to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers.
While he was rumoured to be in the running for multiple head coach vacancies this summer, Woodcroft was passed over for all of the jobs. He enters this year still waiting for another chance he likes at the NHL level. His name will likely be in the rumour mill when another position opens.
Woodcroft did help coach Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships back in the spring. The team failed to medal at the event as Czechia won on home ice.