By all accounts, the Boston Bruins are closing in on their next head coach, and the noise around Jay Woodcroft is getting harder to ignore. No announcement has come from the front office yet, but behind the scenes, the former Edmonton Oilers bench boss is picking up serious steam.
Jay Woodcroft Viewed as Leading Candidate for Bruins Coaching Role
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes recently mentioned him among the names drawing league-wide interest, and longtime NHL reporter Jimmy Murphy says multiple sources now view Woodcroft as Boston’s likely choice. Marco Sturm and Jay Leach remain in the mix, but it feels like it is Woodcroft’s job to lose.
Yesterday, on the @sickpodnhl, I reported that Marco Sturm and Jay Leach were frontrunners to become the next HC of the #NHLBruins.
That is still true, but I’ve since been told by two trusted sources that former #LetsGoOilers HC Jay Woodcroft is too, and may be ‘The Frontrunner’
— Jimmy Murphy (@MurphysLaw74) May 27, 2025
With just three teams still searching for a coach — Boston, Seattle, and Pittsburgh — the Bruins don’t have the luxury of waiting too long. And if momentum is any indication, this search may be winding down sooner rather than later.
So, why Woodcroft? For starters, there’s plenty to like about his résumé. In 133 games with Edmonton, he racked up 79 wins and helped guide the team to a 50-win season in 2022–23. Things fell apart early last year, and he was shown the door, but that didn’t seem to shake his reputation much around the league.
He’s also got a solid background in player development, which matters for a Bruins team that needs to thread the needle between winning now and building for later. Before landing in Edmonton, Woodcroft found success coaching the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and held assistant gigs with both San Jose and Los Angeles.
He’s a systems guy, calm on the bench, and reportedly well-liked by his players. That might be exactly what the Bruins need as they try to move forward after a year that didn’t live up to expectations.
The Boston Bruins Face a Crossroads
Let’s face it, the Bruins are in a tricky spot. They’ve still got top-end veterans, but they’re also counting on younger players to step into bigger roles. Whoever takes over behind the bench will need to manage that transition without letting the team fall out of contention.
Woodcroft has shown he can guide a roster with star power and develop talent along the way. That mix is rare. And in a market like Boston, where patience is thin and expectations are high, those qualities could go a long way.
No one’s handing him the job just yet. But as the coaching carousel slows, all signs are pointing toward TD Garden. And if you’re reading between the lines, Woodcroft might already have one foot in the door.
Woodcroft is a good choice; this would throw Sacco in the mix for the other jobs?