Former Edmonton Oilers captain Jason Smith hired as head coach of WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings

Getting to know Jason Smith again

The former bruising blueliner tallied 1008 NHL games over 15 seasons in the NHL. Aside from his eight seasons as an Oiler, Smith also spent time with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, and Toronto Maple Leafs. While he wasn’t known for his point totals, having just 169 over his career, he was known for inflicting punishment on opponents, finishing his career with 1099 penalty minutes.

Smith is best known as the Oilers Captain through the 2006 Stanley Cup run, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the finals. Many point to Smith’s leadership in the room as a major influence on the team’s performance. With this pedigree on the team, we chose Smith to be a part of the Oilers All-Star quarter century team at the end of 2024.

He also helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference Final two seasons later as their captain. It is this influence that makes him such a sought-after coach.

What’s next for Jason Smith?

Smith joins a star-studded coaching staff with the Oil Kings, which includes former NHLer Kyle Chipchura and former Oiler Ladislav Smid. Given that the Oil Kings are also owned by Oilers Entertainment Group, it’s not hard to imagine that if he succeeds in this role, he could earn a promotion to the big club in a few years. Further, it’s not impossible to see him spending some time with current captain Connor McDavid, trading notes on motivating their teammates to excel in the playoffs. Bringing in a proven winner in Smith is fantastic for this organization, and could be a stepping stone for him to the Oilers in a few years time.