Kris Knoblauch, born on September 24, 1978, in Imperial, Saskatchewan, is a Canadian ice hockey head coach and a former ice hockey player. He is presently serving as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League (NHL) and has prior coaching experience with Prince Albert Raiders, Kootenay Ice, Erie Otters, Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Wolf Pack and the New York Rangers. Albeit he served as assistant coach with most of these teams and notably stood up as the head coach of the Rangers for six games in 2021. Moving forward to November 2023, he was hired to take the position of the head coach for the Edmonton Oilers after former manager Jay Woodcraft was fired following a poor start to the season which saw them reeling with a record of 3-9-1. Remarkably, under Knoblauch, they finished the regular season with a record of 49–27–6, standing as the second seed in the Pacific Division and overseeing a 16-game win streak during the season.
Moreover, he coached top-tier players like Connor McDavid, Sam Reinhart, Erik Cernak, Dylan Storme, Connor Brown, Anthony Cirelli and Alex DeBrincat during his stint with the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He showcased his abilities to develop young talent and led the Otters to the J. Ross Robertson Cup in his last season with them.
Who is Kris Knoblauch's wife, Autumn Knoblauch?
Kris Knoblauch is married to Autumn Knoblauch, a native of Alberta. Notably, the couple tied the knot in 2004 and have been together since. While not much is known about Autumn, she makes sporadic appearances at Knoblauch's games. Importantly, she was present at Knoblauch's first game as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Around the same time, Kris Knoblauch talked about the importance of his family on his career in an interview after his appointment as head coach of the Oilers. He became emotional while talking about his family while having to leave them behind and to be on the road with Oilers and also reflected on his commitment to his wife and kids.
What does Autumn Knoblauch do for a living?
Autumn Knoblauch is a a speech pathologist by profession. Moreover, she completed her education from University of Alberta.
How long have Kris Knoblauch and Autumn Knoblauch been together?
Notably, the couple crossed paths when Kris Knoblauch was playing for the Edmonton Ice (presently Kootenay Ice) in the Western Hockey League (WHL), while Autumn was a student at University of Alberta. The romance soon sparked between them with the matrimonial knot taking place in 2004. As of 2024, they have been married for around 20 years now.
How many children to Kris Knoblauch and Autumn have?
Kris Knoblauch and Autumn Knoblauch have two kids. Their first child, Marek, was born in 2007 in Cranbrook. Their second child, Emry, was born three years later in 2010. Both are presently attending school in Hartford. Notably, the kids were present with Knoblauch at the Oilers Entertainment Group family skate and holiday party in November 2023. The kids also got a chance to see their father's office with Emry getting a chance to ask her dad a question at the post-game press conference. Furthermore, Marek is trying to get into the hockey team at school.