2023-11-12 18:41:32
The New York Rangers are losing an up-and-coming coach from their organization.
Kris Knoblauch, who spent four-plus seasons as the head coach of the Blueshirts’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, has been hired as the next bench boss for the Edmonton Oilers.
The struggling Oilers announced the move Sunday, along with the firing of previous head coach Jay Woodcroft.
Knoblauch will be replaced on the Hartford bench by one of his assistants, Steve Smith, one person with knowledge of the situation told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. Smith will serve as the Wolf Pack’s interim head coach, with the search for a more permanent replacement beginning immediately.
More Knoblauch: AHL Hartford coach could get NHL chance soon
Smith, who played 16 seasons as an NHL defenseman, spent the past two years working under Knoblauch. Prior to that, the 60-year-old worked as an assistant for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes and Oilers.
Knoblauch departs after compiling a 119-90-32 record with Hartford. He turned heads by guiding them on a run to the Atlantic Division Finals last spring, then carried that momentum into a 7-3-1 start this season.
The 45-year-old’s star has been rising around the game, with the Rangers scooping him up in 2019 as a coach they hoped to groom internally. He was presumably on the list of candidates for their head coaching vacancy over the summer, but multiple sources indicated that team president Chris Drury preferred to go with an experienced option, ultimately landing on Peter Laviolette.
Edmonton was willing to take a chance after a disappointing 3-9-1 start to the season. It’s safe to assume Knoblauch came with an endorsement from star center Connor McDavid, who played three seasons under him during his OHL days with the Erie Otters.
“One of the things with Connor was that he just wanted to be treated like everyone else,” Erie general manager Dave Brown said in May. “He didn’t want any preferential treatment, and Kris handled him like that. He was able to communicate with those types of guys, whether that had been Dylan (Strome) or Connor or Alex DeBrincat. There were times where after the game, did he love their game? No, but he was always thinking of ways to get to the end result. … He was always trying to figure what buttons to push – and he does it in a respectful manner. Players, they admire that.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
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