ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have hired former Edmonton head coach Jay Woodcroft as an assistant coach to Joel Quenneville for the upcoming season.
Anaheim also hired Ryan McGill and Andrew Brewer as assistant coaches Tuesday to fill out the first staff for Quenneville, who was hired by the Ducks in May. The Ducks also added Dave Manson and Michael Babcock to the staff of their AHL affiliate in San Diego.
Woodcroft went 79-41-13 across three seasons as the Oilers' head coach from 2022-24, leading them to two playoff berths, three series victories and the Western Conference finals. He previously spent seven years as an assistant to Todd McLellan in San Jose.
McGill was an assistant in New Jersey and Vegas over the past eight seasons, while Brewer is a former AHL assistant who served as Florida's video coach during Quenneville's last full season with the Panthers in 2020-21.
Assistant coach Tim Army and goaltending coach Peter Budaj are returning in Anaheim after coaching under Greg Cronin last season.
All three new assistants have ample experience with outstanding special teams units, and Quenneville has declared his determination to fix what was the NHL's worst power play last season.
Anaheim has missed the playoffs in a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons. General manager Pat Verbeek fired Cronin after the Ducks finished 35-37-10, making a 21-point improvement over last season while still finishing well out of playoff contention.
Manson is the father of longtime Ducks defenseman Josh Manson and a former assistant to Woodcroft in Edmonton.
Babcock is the 30-year-old son of former Ducks head coach Mike Babcock, who led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Final in 2003.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
FILE - Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft checks the scoreboard during their game against the Minnesota Wild in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig,File)
