Former Oilers Coach Connected to Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in unfamiliar territory as they hunt for a new head coach after parting ways with Mike Sullivan. Numerous names have been connected to the Penguins since the start of their search, with a wide net clearly being cast by president and general manager Kyle Dubas.

Familiar faces in the coaching world as well as possible first timers have all been connected to the Penguins, with a new name emerging in the race. According to Elliotte Friedman in the 32 Thoughts Podcast, former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft is among the names still in the running for the Penguins.

Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach D.J. Smith were also linked by Friedman.

“Pittsburgh, I heard they’re getting to in-person visits,” Friedman said. “Here’s some of the people I suspect are on that list. Mitch Love I mentioned earlier this week… I’m thinking D.J. Smith. I’m thinking Jay Woodcroft.”

Friedman admitted he could be missing names, but these appear to be top contenders.

Woodcroft is the only non-first-time head coach of the three names, previously coaching Connor McDavid and the Oilers. Despite spending three years in Edmonton, Woodcroft was only behind the bench for one full 82-game season in 2022-23. After being fired the following year, Woodcroft is yet to take a new job in the NHL.

In 133 career games behind the Oilers bench, Woodcroft picked up a 79-41-13 record. His full 2022-23 saw the Oilers notch a 50-23-9 record.

Despite being out of the league for the entirety of 2024-25, Woodcroft has been a hot commodity this offseason. He’s been talked about around multiple coaching vacancies around the league, turning his hiring into a Woodcroft Sweepstakes.

The Penguins haven’t made a final decision just yet, but are a new team taking a hard look at Woodcroft.