The Edmonton Oilers signed head coach Kris Knoblauch to a three-year contract extension on Friday.
Knoblauch's new deal will run through the 2028-2029 season.
"In the NHL, you never know what's going to happen, so it's nice to have it out of mind and it's done and now we're just worried about the regular season," said Knoblauch on Friday. "Whether it was happening or not, I would still be worrying about the regular season, but now that I have that security, it's nice and I don't have to worry about it and I can spend all my attention to our next game."
Since replacing Jay Woodcroft in 2023, Knoblaunch has led the Oilers to a 94-47-10 record and back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances.
But the Oilers head coach credits star players Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the team's success rather than himself.
"They're not only the best players but are high-character team players," said Knoblauch. "There are some good quality players out there, high-talent superstars, and to have two of the best on one team, yes, I feel very fortunate to have them. I feel even more fortunate of how high character they are, how much they want to win and how much they know the importance of the team environment and the contributions of others."
Knoblauch mentioned, "Obviously, there are other contracts that are much more important than mine," alluding to McDavid's contract that's up after the end of the 2025-2026 season.
