The Philadelphia Flyers are back on the ice with training camp here. Interestingly, they have had a very intriguing guest during the beginning stages of it: former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft.
It is important to note that Woodcroft is not currently at the Flyers’ training camp for job purposes. Instead, Flyers head coach John Tortorella explained that Woodcroft asked him to attend camp as simply a guest.
Here is what Tortorella said on the matter:
“He (Woodcroft) contacted me a couple of months ago. I think he’s gone overseas. He’s trying to get better. He contacted me. I showed him the schedule where the two good days would be good.”
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Tortorella also added:
“It’s a coach trying to get better. And I think in the coaching fraternity, I used to do it as a young coach myself, just reach out and try to see if I could just view a practice and maybe sit down and talk a little bit. So I think that’s just a young man who has no job right now, trying to use his time correctly, to try to be better. So I’m all in on that.”
Jay Woodcroft was here again at Flyers practice today. To be clear, he’s watching practice from the same areas of the fans, simply to try and gain a different perspective on how other coaches do things.
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) September 21, 2024
Woodcroft certainly picked an excellent coach to watch and try to learn from in Tortorella. Tortorella is entering his 23rd season as an NHL head coach and has plenty of success. He notably led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004 and has won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year twice.
Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News
Woodcroft was fired by the Oilers this past season after the team started the campaign with a 3-9-1 record. While Woodcroft’s finish in Edmonton was shaky, he put together a solid stint as the club’s head coach. In 133 games as the Oilers’ head coach, he had a 79-41-13 record. It feels like only a matter before Woodcroft lands another head coaching gig.
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