The Edmonton Oilers are under fire for attempting to interview Bruce Cassidy while Kris Knoblauch remains head coach. Critics, including former NHL player Jeff O'Neill, have labeled the move as 'classless.'
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The Edmonton Oilers are facing major criticism after reports surfaced that the organization sought permission to interview former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy while Kris Knoblauch remains employed as head coach.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Edmonton contacted Vegas regarding Cassidy following the Golden Knightsâ decision to fire him in March. However, Vegas reportedly denied permission for the interview request.
The move immediately sparked backlash across the hockey world, with several analysts questioning how the Oilers handled the situation.
Speaking on TSN OverDrive, former NHL forward Jeff OâNeill strongly criticized Edmonton management.
âI think itâs classless, man,â OâNeill said. â⊠If youâre gonna do that, fire Kris Knoblauch. The guy took your team to two finals and turned it around, and you do that to him.â
âI get it, this is a cutthroat business, and sometimes thereâs a guy you want, and thereâs a guy you need, and some things happen, but how classless is it? If youâre gonna do that, have some class and fire the guy. Thatâs disgusting.â
OâNeill continued by questioning how Knoblauch must feel while reading public reports linking the organization to another coach.
âJust fire the guy if youâre gonna do it,â OâNeill added. âWhat is the guy sitting on his couch reading Frank Seravalliâs tweet and the Bruce Cassidy stuff?â
Bryan Hayes also questioned Edmontonâs intentions.
âIf youâre reaching out to talk to Bruce Cassidy, why would you do that unless the jobâs available?â Hayes said.
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris knoblauch watches play during a game.
The Oilers sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy while Kris Knoblauch is still employed as head coach, which many view as disrespectful.
Jeff O'Neill criticized the Oilers' management, calling their actions 'classless' and suggesting they should have fired Kris Knoblauch first.
The Vegas Golden Knights denied the Oilers' request to interview Bruce Cassidy after he was fired in March.
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The criticism did not stop there for the Oilers. Former NHL executive Craig Button also disapproved of the Oilersâ reported actions during an appearance on the Donnie and Dhali podcast.
âI think itâs a thin book on human relations by the Edmonton Oilers, who have a coach in place, and theyâre asking for permission to go talk to a coach,â Button said. âYou wanna talk about Vegas and that, I donât know what happened there. Bottom line is the Edmonton Oilers is â like, thatâs a piss-poor way to treat people. Youâre Kris Knoblauch, and youâre going, âWhat? Really?â
âYou wanna change the coach? Go change the coach. No problem with that. But this is how youâre gonna proceed? Not a good look for the Edmonton Oilers management group.â
The backlash comes after Edmonton endured a disappointing 2025-26 season. Despite entering the year with Stanley Cup expectations following consecutive Final appearances, the Oilers finished with a 41-30-11 record before losing to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.
Defensive struggles, injuries, and poor special teams contributed heavily to the collapse. Connor McDavid later described Edmonton as âan average team with high expectations.â
Knoblauch still owns a strong 135-77-21 coaching record after replacing Jay Woodcroft in 2023. He also guided the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025.