By Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic)
Jay Woodcroft has kept a low profile since the Edmonton Oilers fired him as head coach last season.
There isn’t much currency in being in the media spotlight when the team that fired you is in the midst of a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. But the reality, too, is that he didn’t see any value in defending his brand. That’s energy misused.
Instead, Woodcroft went under the radar over the past 11 months and used the period to decompress and delve deeper into ways to better himself for the next opportunity.
“I’ve thrown myself into my personal development,” Woodcroft told The Athletic. “So what does that look like? For me, it starts with family. Having this time has allowed me to be fully present for my wife and kids and take full advantage of the everyday moments that, during the course of a regular NHL season and playoff run, you’re not there anymore.
“The second thing for me about how I’ve tried to use this time to my benefit, is studying human behaviors, studying people processes. There’s things as a coach that you think about over the years and you’re certainly intuitive about certain types of things, but when you study behavior properly and you’re thinking about how best to leverage people’s strengths, you’re intentional about doing things. I think that gives you a leg up when the time comes when it’s your next opportunity.”
That next opportunity almost came in the offseason, per league sources. The 48-year-old Toronto native interviewed multiple times with the New Jersey Devils and was a finalist for the job that ultimately went to Sheldon Keefe. He was also the No. 2 choice for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who went with Dean Evason instead.
Woodcroft wouldn’t confirm any of that, but generally speaking, he said the interview process has been positive.
“The process, I felt, was informative and made me think about what my core beliefs were,” he said. “It made me be able to articulate what was most important to me as a coach. … I hadn’t had that (head-coach interview) experience very much in my career, so yeah it made me better for opportunities going forward.”
As an aside, it is somewhat unusual for a coach to stay in the market after being fired. The last thing you want is to be surrounded by reminders of the team that let you go. But Woodcroft and his wife decided it didn’t make sense to move their twin 10-year-old girls twice when the next NHL gig came, so Edmonton remains home until further notice. And it’s been fine despite the awkward reality of walking the streets with fans of your former team.
“I have a great relationship with the community,” Woodcroft said. “My wife is born and raised here. A lot of her family is still around the city. The fan base has always treated me like gold.”
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