New Bench Boss For Oil Kings

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The 2014 Memorial Cup Champion Edmonton Oil Kings will name their new head coach on Monday and barring a massive surprise it will be Steve Hamilton. 

Hamilton, who has served as the team's Assistant and then Associate Head Coach since 2010-11, will be Edmonton's third bench boss since returning to the league in 2007-08. 

Edmonton's record under the tutelage of the Laxdal/Hamilton combination is an impressive 182-83-22 over those four years. In that time span, the Oil Kings have enjoyed three consecutive 50-win seasons, three straight WHL Eastern Conference titles, a pair of WHL Championships and are now the defending Memorial Cup Champions.

After the jump, some thoughts on the expected promotion from me and comments from some current and past players as well.

First Impressions

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I had a chance on Monday evening to watch the first day of main camp for the Edmonton Oil Kings. The club played a trio of inter-squad games and a number of players made an impression on me which made the lengthy trek out to Fort Saskatchewan a worthwhile one.

I finally had an opportunity to meet new head coach Derek Laxdal who we previously tried to book as a guest on The Pipeline Show but were unable to thanks to a Northern Saskatchewan fishing trip.

More on my first impression of the new coaching staff and several of the players...

More Coaching Scuttlebutt

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Late on Friday we mentioned that Medicine Hat Tigers GM/Coach Willie Desjardins appears headed for the NHL's Dallas Stars. Tonight, two other credible reports have come our way as well as a third being discussed that also concerns Medicine Hat.

Laxdal To be Crowned Soon by Oil Kings

Word around the WHL campfire is that Derek Laxdal has taken the Oil Kings coaching job in Edmonton. My source tells me that Laxdal is in the process of hiring assistant coaches and that former Spruce Grove Saint bench boss Steve Hamilton (who was in the running for the head coach job as well) is at the top of the list. If Laxdal hasn't been hired, it seems strange that he would be mulling over candiates given to him by the team.

I thought Laxdal was going to get some consideration for one of the 3 (and soon to be more) vacant AHL jobs, and maybe he would have if he hadn't accepted the Oil Kings gig, but working for a WHL team owned by an NHL team, that has some prized prospects Coming Down the Pipe is hard to turn down.

The former Brandon Wheat King led Idaho to 48 wins last year and a ECHL title in 2007. He also was named the league's top coach last season. The job he is leaving is a good one, but the stability of the franchise is in question.

There has been no announcement yet from the Oil Kings.

I will have some more coaching news and nuggets later on, but for now it's time to play some golf...if the rain stays away.

We'll talk this subject and much more tonight from 7-9 pm mst on the TEAM 1260, or online here where you can also find a complete guest list for tonight's show.

Pearn Front Runner For Oil King Job

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It appears that the Edmonton Oil Kings vacant head coaching job is Perry Pearn's to turn down. Pearn was supposed to join TPS Tuesday night, but travel plans changed and he wasn't able to guest on the show. He did, through text message, tell us he does have interest in the job, the The Pipeline Show has learned from several sources that if Pearn wants the job, he has it.

Oil Kings Coach Search Down to Five

It's pretty hard not to bump into a scout, GM or Coach from any level of hockey here in Brandon at the Mastercard Memorial Cup, and thankfully they all hang out behind the media section. That's where I found out tonight the search to replace Steve Pleau as Oil Kings head coach is down to 5 guys, and none have recent WHL experience.