Elliotte Friedman Reveals the Truth About Jay Woodcroft's Firing
An NHL insider has just shared his perspective on the reasons behind Jay Woodcroft's firing.
Oilers Let Go of Jay Woodcroft in Hope to Save Their Season
Since the Edmonton Oilers announced the firing of Jay Woodcroft due to their horrible start to the year, there's been a lot of rumours about the persone who made the call.
Some believed the players wanted the coach gone, while others thought it might have been to accommodate McDavid and bring in his former Junior Coach.
Elliotte Friedman revealed his opinion on the case:
Friedman believes that regardless of who was the coach, they would have faced the same fate at this point of the season. It's evident that Edmonton needed a change, and the coach is often the first to fall.
Friedman Suggests the Decision to Remove Woodcroft Originated From Jackson, Not Ken Holland
What adds another layer of intrigue is Friedman's strong belief that it was Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson, rather than General Manager Ken Holland, who made the call to part ways with Woodcroft.
This is concerning for Oilers fans, as it reinforces the notion that Holland and Jackson may not see eye to eye on resolving the current crisis.
"Holland was the guy who brought in Woodcroft and there's a new sheriff in town," said Friedman.
Such a shift in power dynamics is not what the Oilers need at this critical hour.
As seen on Hockey OTB - Insider Reveals the True Details on Why Jay Woodcroft Was Fired
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 13 | 211 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Reveals the Truth About Jay Woodcroft's Firing Do you think Knoblauch will win his first game as the Oilers' head coach? | ||
| Yes | 125 | 59.2 % |
| No | 86 | 40.8 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
|
YESTERDAY
APRIL 19, 2026
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Juraj Slafkovsky | 3 | - | 3 | |
| Tage Thompson | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Morgan Geekie | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| David Pastrnak | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Colton Sissons | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alex Tuch | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Nick Suzuki | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Josh Anderson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Cooley | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nic Dowd | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Artturi Lehkonen | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Elias Lindholm | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan O'Connor | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Artemi Panarin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||