Jay Woodcroft and the Edmonton Oilers made a strong showing in the NHL Playoffs, advancing as far as the Western Conference Final before being sent home via a four-game sweep by the Colorado Avalanche. All things considered, the season was a success for the Oilers, who could just have easily missed the playoffs altogether following the departure of former head coach Dave Tippett.

After naming Woodcroft the interim head coach, he won over the locker room and turned the season around. Now, Woodcroft is being rewarded with a new contract that will have stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl excited about the future. According to Nick Kypreos, the Oilers are signing Woodcroft to a new three-year contract extension.

Related NewsArticle continues below
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) warms up before game one against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl disputes challenge of playing in a Canadian market
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) reacts after the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 during an overtime period, completing a 4-1 series win during game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
Vegas copes with Oilers loss with hilarious Ben Affleck meme
Edmonton Oilers defensemen Darnell Nurse (25) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Los Angelos Kings in game six of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place.
Darnell Nurse sends cautious message about Oilers’ playoff run

Woodcroft took the reins from Tippett on Feb. 10 after the Oilers had won just seven of its previous 23 games. With their season in turmoil, they turned to the inexperienced 45-year-old to right the ship, and he did that and more. The Oilers looked like a completely rejuvenated team under Woodcroft, highlighted by their excellent playoff run that saw them knock off the LA Kings and win the Battle of Alberta against the Calgary Flames.

While there are likely some key changes to come to the roster this offseason, the Oilers no longer have a looming question regarding their head coach, as Woodcroft is here to stay. He'll hope to improve upon what was an excellent second half of the season in Edmonton, during which he led the Oilers to a 26-9-3 record in the regular season and an 8-8 record in the playoffs.