Oilers decide to part ways with former KIJHL coach Tom Renney
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The Edmonton Oilers are parting ways with former Kootenay International Junior Hockey League coach Tom Renney after two seasons as skipper of the NHL franchise.
The team made the announcement via Twitter on Thursday, saying Renney’s contract will not be renewed.
Renney joined the team for the 2010-11 season and finished with an NHL-worst 25-45-12 record.
This season the Oilers started strong but still finished at the basement of the league, improving slightly to a 32-40-10 record for second-last overall. Although Edmonton did win the NHL hockey lottery and will once again draft first overall.
It’s the third consecutive year Edmonton has the first pick in the NHL draft.
“Tom’s done some great things for our hockey club,” general manager Steve Tambellini said in a video statement posted on the Oilers website. “But we felt at this time it was the right decision to make a change.
“We’re entering a new phase of our hockey club. We’ve got some great challenges, but ones that we’re looking forward to. I want to thank Tom for his work that he’s done with us.”
Renney came to Edmonton having previously served as head coach with the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.
The 57-year-old Cranbrook native 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.
Renney got his start in hockey in the KIJHL. He won the league championship as skipper of the Columbia Valley Rockies before moving to coaching in the Western Hockey League and winning a Memorial Cup with Kamloops Blazers.
In two season with the Blazers Renney compiled a 101-37-6 record for a .714 winning percentage, which ranks as the all-time highest winning mark in CHL history.
Before coaching in the NHL, Renney guided Canada to a silver medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
Renney and wife Glenda own a summer home near Nelson on the North Shore overlooking Kootenay Lake.
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