The Edmonton Oilers announced Wednesday that former assistant coach Paul Coffey will return to the team’s coaching staff. The move comes after weeks of speculation and reports of a shift in coaching philosophy as the Oilers struggled entering the Olympic break.
The Oilers announced their official site: “The Hall of Fame defenseman will step back after resuming his role as special advisor for ownership and hockey operations in July following a two-year stint leading the Oilers defensive corps.”
He was named behind the bench for the first time as coach on November 13, 2023 and stayed until the end of the 2024-2025 regular season. He did this as a favor to Darryl Katz, but never really wanted the gig. But under his leadership, especially on defense, the Oilers allowed 2.78 goals per game, which was the fifth-best mark in the NHL over that span.
In November, Elliotte Friedman reported that whispers about Coffey’s return began. In one 32 thoughts column, he wrote: “Last week there were rumors that Edmonton was considering bringing back Paul Coffey, but I was denied.” Things had clearly changed based on the way the Oilers were playing at the start of the 2026 calendar year.
“I have been in regular contact with Paul since last summer and I believe we will benefit from his return both as a team and as a staff at this time,” said Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. Knoblauch recently signed a new contract, so he isn’t going anywhere.
“I am excited to return and work with Kris and the entire staff,” said Coffey. “With 24 games remaining in the season, there is plenty of time to build on the many positives and build momentum for another long play-off run.” This somewhat goes against previous reports that Coffey and Knoblauch were not always on the same page. Frank Seravalli reported, “I think this is one of the things that hasn’t been talked about enough, the changes in the coaching staff that happened in Edmonton…” Interestingly enough, he also added, “I think he butted heads with some of the other members of the coaching staff at various points in time because of the hard lead that he has.”
Whether that’s true is unknown, but the Oilers are willing to risk some friction to shake up the team.
Coffey is expected back at the club this Friday as they continue their preparation to return to action in California next week after the Olympic break.
Next: Bobrovsky to Edmonton? Oilers about to get ultimate revenge on Panthers?
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