Jay Woodcroft is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach who currently serves the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL as the head coach. Moreover, he is also a former professional player who competed as a center in various leagues for about five years.
It hasn't been long since Woodcroft was named the head coach of the Oilers, so many of his new fans are eager to know about him. So, let's look at his journey from being a player to coaching one of the renowned NHL teams as we learn more about him in this biography.
Pavel Bure Biography - Former Ice Hockey Player
Comes From A Hockey Family
The NHL coach was born on August 11, 1976, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to his parents, Jem Woodcroft and Frank Woodcroft. His mom, Jem, was a nurse, and his dad, Frank, worked in sales. Jay Woodcroft's father was also an accomplished junior goalie. In addition, the former has four hockey-playing uncles, Paul Woodcroft, Bud Woodcroft, Gerry Woodcroft, and Gord Woodcroft. Paul and Bud were Catholic priests and played with the well-known Flying Fathers.
Furthermore, Jay has two older brothers who are also heavily involved in hockey. His oldest sibling, Craig Woodcroft, was the most accomplished among the three as a player, spending 13 years in pro leagues in both North America and Europe. He is now the head coach of HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.
Likewise, Jay Woodcroft's second brother, Todd Woodcroft, is currently serving as the head coach of the Vermont Catamounts, the University of Vermont's men's ice hockey team. Todd won two World Championships and the 2012 Stanley Cup. Seeing how Jay was born into a hockey family, it isn't surprising that he also got involved in the sport.
As for Jay Woodcroft's education, he attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he played for the men's hockey team for four years, from 1996 to 2000. He graduated from college with a degree in finance.
Jay Woodcroft Net Worth And Career
The Toronto native has been working as an ice hockey coach since 2005. Over the years, he is highly likely to have earned a fortune in his career. Likewise, Jay Woodcroft's net worth must be an impressive amount.
As already mentioned above, Jay was also a professional athlete. Over the course of his playing career, he competed in nine leagues, including OPJHL, NCAA, CHL, ECHL, UHL, and more. Likewise, he also played for about ten teams, which include Missouri River Otters, Flint Generals, Anchorage Aces, Corpus Christi Rayz, and Stuttgart Wizards.
The head coach started his journey as a video coach for the Detroit Wings in the 2005-06 season before becoming an assistant coach for the NHL's San Jose Sharks in July 2008. After about seven years, in April 2015, he left the team with a few other coaching staff, including head coach Todd McLellan and fellow assistant coach Jim Johnson. But not long after, on June 25, 2015, Jay was appointed as an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers.
Then, three years later, on April 27, 2018, Woodcroft was named the head coach of the AHL affiliate of the Oilers, the Bakersfield Condors. The Condors documented a 105-71-21 record during the regular season and won the Pacific Division playoff championship during the 2020-21 campaign under his guidance. Finally, on February 10, 2022, Jay was named the Oilers' new interim head coach replacing Dave Tippett.
Now, let's take a look at Jay Woodcroft's coaching records for the past few years in the table below.
| Season | Team | Games Played | Wins | Loss | Percentage |
| 2019-20 | Bakersfield Condors | 56 | 21 | 27 | 0.446 |
| 2020-21 | Bakersfield Condors | 39 | 24 | 14 | 0.628 |
| 2021-22 | Bakersfield Condors | 34 | 18 | 9 | 0.632 |
| 2021-22 | Edmonton Oilers | 38 | 26 | 9 | 0.724 |
Table Source: hockeyDB.com
The former center had a successful run to the Western Conference Finals with the Oilers. Following that, the team signed him to a three-year deal to remain as their interim head coach. As per SportsNet, the contract pays him $2 million per season. Also, The Athletic estimates the average pay of an NHL assistant coach is between $200,000 and $400,000 per year. So, before adopting his current position, Jay Woodcroft's salary must have been similar.
Hence, Jay Woodcroft's net worth must be a considerable sum, which is likely to increase constantly. Similarly, Jeff Blashill is another ice hockey coach with significant earnings.
Enjoys A Blissful Marital Life
The NHL coach is happily married to his beloved spouse, Jackie Woodcroft. Although it is unknown which year the latter was born, she is from Edmonton, Alberta, and celebrates her birthday on February 10 every year. Jay Woodcroft's wife was a softball player, and the two met each other for the first time as NCAA scholarship athletes.
Jay Woodcroft enjoys a blissful marital life with his lovely wife, Jackie Woodcroft. Image Source: Social Media.
Other than that, Jackie appears to be a private person who prefers to lead a low-key life. She does have a Facebook account to her name; however, she has not shared a single picture there and has only revealed a little about herself. Hopefully, we will know more about Jay Woodcroft's lovely partner in the near future. Also, the couple exchanged their wedding vows on August 24, 2007, and have been together for almost 15 years.
Is A Doting Father Of Two Girls
About six years after tying the knot, the UA alumnus and his wife, Jackie, became parents with the birth of their twin girls. Jay Woodcroft's daughters were born in November of 2013. Unfortunately, nothing has been revealed yet about the little ones to the public, including their names. Since they are still very young, it is highly likely that Jay and Jackie want them to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible.
Hopefully, we will learn more about Jay's twins in the coming days. Overall, it appears the Toronto native is leading a successful and happy life. With his earnings and fortune, he must also enjoy a comfortable life with his spouse and children. Nevertheless, we wish Jay Woodcroft and his family have fun-filled life ahead.
Trivia And Facts
- Jay Woodcroft stands at the height of 6'1''.
- He also coached the Canadian National team at the 2015 World Championship.
