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RENNEY'S CRITICISM OF YOUTHFUL OILERS OUT OF CHARACTER

THE CANADIAN PRESS, 3/13/2012

EDMONTON — Reluctant to publicly criticize his team for the better part of two seasons despite mounting defeats, head coach Tom Renney raised eyebrows when he lit into the Edmonton Oilers after a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

Renney has always been mindful to put the process of rebuilding a team that has finished 30th the past two seasons on equal footing with results during a tenure as head coach that has produced just 51 wins in 151 games. But he let the Oilers' players have it after they opened a four-game homestand by losing for the eighth time in nine games at Rexall Place.

While Renney's players had their say in a meeting before practice Tuesday, the response that matters will come Wednesday against the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets.

"My frustration is that we don't play to our potential," Renney said when asked about Monday's comments. "We didn't last night. We can be a good hockey club.

"We went out last night and played not to lose. Go play. Go play, you know? Appreciate the experience and the opportunity, those type of things. Play on your toes and not your heels. We can be a real good hockey club when we apply ourselves that way.

"You can't play in fear of losing. You've got to go play hard. The least you can do is just leave it out there."

Renney didn't mince words Monday night after the Oilers (26-36-7) lost their fifth straight home game.

"It doesn't take many for the wrong approach, the wrong attitude . . . to kind of make its way through your dressing room," Renney said. "It doesn't take many guys at all.

"We have a few people who have to look in the mirror here because this is unacceptable. You're the Edmonton Oilers, you're a millionaire, you have an opportunity to play the game . . . Suck it up and play hockey."

Renney didn't single anyone out for criticism after the loss, but his frustration was obvious.

"There's going to be times where frustration is going to happen in games, especially when you're 29th," captain Shawn Horcoff said. "You know, to tell you the truth, that's the first time it's kind of maybe got to the point where he (Renney) had to address it this year. In years past, it's been much more. Actually, I view it as a good thing.

"Today, we had a good chat and we talked about things among ourselves that we'll keep between teammates. We've re-grouped and we'll be ready to go (Wednesday)."

Pat Quinn publicly chastised his team more than once during the 2009-10 season en route to a 27-47-8 record and 30th-place finish. But the rant Monday was a rarity for Renney, who served as an assistant under Quinn before becoming the head coach to start the 2010-11 season.

The Oilers finished 30th again under Renney last season, going 25-42-12 and are 51-89-18 under Renney, who doesn't have a contract for next season.

"Frustration creeps into a lot of people's games," Ryan Smyth said. "It's a matter of overcoming it, not as an individual, but as a team.

"Not one guy is going to carry the load, you know? One guy can sure lead, but it takes everybody to be an impactful group. We've got to get back to doing that, doing the little things that make this team successful. We've got fight for each other's pride in here."

Despite Edmonton's struggles, Renney has been a picture of patience. He has always stressed process and the development of youngsters like rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and second-year players Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle as the foundation of long-term success.

"I think if frustration didn't happen at this point, you'd have a problem," Horcoff said. "The thing is, we've got 20 guys who care. We've got guys who want to be better. They want to do better, individually and team-wise.

"That's going to happen. We addressed it (Tuesday) and re-grouped and got a little bit of our frustration out. We talked about some problems we were having maybe, things we wanted to change and things we didn't want to change going forward. We look forward to coming back and having a better effort against Columbus."

GM Steve Tambellini, in Florida attending a meeting of NHL general managers, didn't have an issue with Renney's post-game comments.

"You expect your organization, your team, to be emotional," Tambellini said. "They prepare to win every night and you expect the very, very best from all of your payers. Obviously he wasn't happy with a couple and voiced his opinion. I don't have a problem with that."

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Oilers get Renney's message

By DEREK VAN DIEST, QMI Agency, March 14, 2012

EDMONTON – It is not in Tom Renney’s nature to criticize his players publicly.

In fact, during his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, Renney has often gone out of his way to protect his players and defend them when things get ugly.

So it was a surprise when the Oilers head coach lambasted his team following a lackluster 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Monday.

It was either a sign of a coach finally losing patience with his club, or of a coach who felt he needed a new method to get his message across.

“He pretty much said the same thing to us in the locker room,” said Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff. “It really wasn’t anything new for me, when I was reading the comments. He’s frustrated, he felt like our body language was going a little south and there was a little too much fighting and bickering. We have to be better.”

Renney appears to be at his wit’s end trying to get what he can out of the Oilers this season.

Having long ago lost any hope of reaching the playoffs, Renney and his coaching staff have had to find creative ways to motivate the team down the stretch.

It’s like trying to squeeze water from a stone some nights.

“I think he just kind of had the end of it,” said Oilers winger Ryan Jones. “He’s such a quiet and positive guy, but he can only take so much.

“I think (Monday) you started seeing a little bit of what he wanted to say, said. The message was taken. When you have a coach that doesn’t say stuff like that very often, when he says it, you pay attention really quick.”

Renney boiled over during his post-game press conference Monday. He criticized his team for their lack of effort and apparent unwillingness to try and win games.

“It doesn’t take many for the wrong approach, the wrong attitude, the wrong give a s- -t to make its way through the dressing room,” Renney said Monday. “It doesn’t take many guys at all. We have a few people who have to look in the mirror here because this is unacceptable.

“You’re the Edmonton Oilers, you’re a millionaire, you have the opportunity to play the game … Suck it up and play hockey.”

Heading into Monday’s game, the Oilers were saying all the right things. They were talking about having to play with pride and for the crest in the front of the jersey and not the name on the back, and whatever other cliché they could come up with.

Yet they came up with another poor effort at home, where they’ve lost five straight and eight of their last nine.

That set off the head coach, who tore into the team in the dressing room after the game, before piling on to the media.

“It’s part of the process. It’s not going to be pretty every night and it’s not going to go your way every night,” Renney said Tuesday. “As a coach and as a coaching staff you try to impart the right principals and the right way you have to play and they’re be departures from that. (Monday) was certainly an opportunity to address things that we have to do in order to improve and we have to improve as a team, it’s that simple.

“It may be out of character for me to display that often. But I don’t think it’s out character for me to make it clear to my players, even through you people (media) what needs to be done by them.”

Whether the message was received won’t be known until Wednesday, when the Oilers play host to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the only team lower in the NHL standings.

The Blue Jackets have had issues of their own this season and are expected to clean house this summer, starting by moving captain Rick Nash.

If the Oilers come up with a poor effort again Wednesday against the worst team in the league, many expect there’ll be some house cleaning done in Edmonton as well.

“I think we should all be a little bit embarrassed,” said Oilers defenceman Ryan Whitney. “Tom made good points. You can’t just try and finish out a season and not play hard.

“(Monday) night is the closest we’re going to get to play something like a playoff game, so we have to really treat them as such.”