Kris Knoblauch will remain the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers for another three years, the team announced Friday morning. No details about the contract extension were released. “I’m obviously very excited,” he told reporters after the team’s practice that morning. “(The) last couple of years have been phenomenal.” He also said the deal enables him to fully focus on the regular season and means his youngest of two kids will get to finish high school without moving again. Knoblauch, 47, has racked up a number of achievements while leading the Edmonton Oilers. Over 151 regular season games, he has a record of 94-47-10, which is the second-highest number of wins in the league in that timeframe. He is the first National Hockey League (NHL) coach in 55 years to reach the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons, and the sixth coach in all of NHL history to achieve the feat. He became the third fastest coach in NHL history to reach 80 wins when Edmonton beat Chicago on Feb. 5, which was Knoblauch’s 123rd game behind the Oilers’ bench. Tom Johnston and Mike Keenan hold the first and second spots at 111 games and 116 games, respectively. Knoblauch is also the first NHL coach to record two eight-game win streaks before the 25-game mark of their coaching career. With him at the helm, the Oilers have also recorded a 16-game win streak, tying with the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-longest win streak in NHL history. “I’m very blessed with having talented players, but also players with outstanding character who want to win. And then also the staff and everybody else I worked with has been a completely fabulous experience for me,” Knoblauch said. The Oilers’ regular season starts Oct. 8 when they host the Calgary Flames.
