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Oilers cut ties with head coach Tom Renney

ALLAN MAKI, Globe and Mail, May. 17, 2012

Steve Tambellini said in April he needed to hear Tom Renney’s plan, how the veteran head coach was going to make the youthful Edmonton Oilers better than the 29th-ranked team in the NHL.

Apparently, Tambellini didn’t like what he heard.

With a tweet and a news conference Thursday, the Oilers general manager announced Renney would not be back with the organization next season. Technically, Renney’s contract was not renewed, meaning the Oilers are now on the prowl for their fourth head coach in five years (from Craig MacTavish to Pat Quinn to Renney to whoever is next).

Speaking to the media at Rexall Place, Tambellini said he made the decision not to being Renney back only days ago, and had met with him earlier in the day in Castlegar, B.C.

Renney was hired by the Oilers in 2009, as an associate coach. He was then appointed head man in 2010, and guided the Oilers to a 57-85-22 record over two seasons.

In both, the Oilers finished no better than second-last in the NHL and missed the playoffs.

“I’m not going to dissect Tom as a coach. He’s a good man, a good coach,” Tambellini said. “We’re just trying to find things to get better – better as a management staff, a coaching staff and players. We want to make sure we’re putting ourselves in a position where we are competing for a playoff spot.”

Asked if it was something Renney didn’t do or say that cost him a new contract offer, Tambellini answered it was about transitioning the Oilers from a group of promising players to a team that delivers on a more-consistent basis.

“There’s been some positive things that happened with the hockey club … but we just want to prepare going into a phase where we need to get to a different level of compete. Expectations will increase,” the GM said. “As they should.”

Renney, 57, had also been a head coach with the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, and was unavailable for comment. Just who his successor will be generated much of Thursday’s fallout in Edmonton.

Brent Sutter has already been trumpeted, which would make him the first of the Alberta-raised Sutter clan to lead the Oilers. Sutter was recently let go after three non-playoff years with the Calgary Flames and was also coach of Canadian team at this year’s world championships. Canada lost to Slovakia on Thursday, and was eliminated from medal contention.

Oilers president Kevin Lowe was the GM of that Canadian team at the worlds and saw Sutter’s work up close while Tambellini described Sutter as “a good coach.”

Another name garnering attention is assistant coach Ralph Krueger. His fate, and that of fellow Oilers assistants Kelly Buchberger and Steve Smith, will be determined by the new bench boss. Krueger joined the Oilers in 2010, after stepping down as head coach of the Swiss national team. He also filled in as head man this past season, when Renney was hit by a puck and suffered postconcussion syndrome.

Another possibility is Todd Nelson, the head coach of the Oilers’ AHL affiliate Oklahoma City Barons, who began their playoff series against the Toronto Marlies on Thursday.

As for when he wanted his new bench boss hired, Tambellini said: “There are a few people that we have interest in. I don’t know when that will be. I would hope something prior to the [NHL entry] draft or at the draft in place. We just want to make sure we have the right person.

“Let us go through the process.”

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Edmonton Oilers part ways with head coach Tom Renney after two losing seasons

The Canadian Press, 2012-05-17

EDMONTON – Wanting more wins out of their young talent, the Edmonton Oilers won't renew the contract of head coach Tom Renney after two seasons in the NHL's cellar.

"We're entering a new phase of our hockey club," general manager Steve Tambellini said Thursday.

Renney joined the team for the 2010-11 season and finished with an NHL-worst 25-45-12 record. The team improved marginally this season with a 32-40-10 record for second-last in the league.

The Oilers have a stable of high draft picks, including forwards Taylor Hall and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who were taken first overall in the last two drafts respectively.

The Oilers are banking on them and forwards Sam Gagner and Jordan Eberle, both 22, and 21-year-old Magnus Paajarvi to drive them back into playoff contention.

"We need to get to a different level of compete, a different level of competing for playoff spots," Tambellini said.

"We've had some young people now who have been here through a couple of years. We've had some veterans who have underachieved for whatever reason and expectations will increase, as they should."

The move indicates the Oilers' patience with their young club has its limits.

"We're starting to get to a spot where their expectations should be higher too," Tambellini said. "We expect better performances from a player like Ales Hemsky on a more consistent basis. We expect better goaltending on a consistent basis from Devan (Dubnyk) and Nik (Khabibulin).

"The people that are here right now need to be a lot better on a consistent basis."

Tambellini said he spent nine days at the world hockey championship in Finland and Sweden before flying to Castlegar, B.C., on Thursday and informing Renney of the team's decision.

The timing of the announcement prompted speculation that ex-Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter is in line to replace Renney.

Sutter coached Canada at the world championship and they were eliminated in the quarter-finals Thursday. Tambellini said Edmonton's announcement on the same day was a coincidence.

"As far as guys who are candidates out there, there's going to be a lot of speculation," Tambellini said. "Brent, he's a good coach, there's no question about that, but let us go through the process and just get it right."

Sutter's contract was not renewed by the Flames after three seasons of missing the playoffs.

Tambellini said he'd like to have a new coach in place by the NHL draft June 22-23 in Pittsburgh, but he wasn't certain the hiring would happen by then.

Renney came to Edmonton having previously served as head coach with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. He replaced Craig McTavish, who was sacked by the Oilers in 2009.

"I'm not going to dissect Tom as a coach. He's a good man, a good coach," Tambellini said. "I'm sure again he'll work again as a head coach soon."

The 57-year-old was fired from the Rangers in February 2009 after 61 games, following three full seasons and 20 games in another when he took over from Glen Sather, who remained as general manager.

Renney was also fired in Vancouver in 1997-98 after his first full season with the club.

"Obviously, it's about wins and losses," Renney said at the end of this season. "I try to work hard. I try to be the good soldier in what the organization requires of me. I do try to let my body of work speak for itself."

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