Former Edmonton Oilers captain Jason Smith has just been named the new head coach of the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, per Oilersnation.com. The Edmonton Oil Kings announced they have hired former Edmonton Oilers captain Jason Smith as the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/release-former-oilers-captain-jason-smith-named-oil-kings-head-coach#:~:text=RELEASE%3A%20Former%20Oilers%20captain%20Jason%20Smith%20named%20Oil%20Kings%20Head%20Coach,-The%2015%2Dyear&text=EDMONTON%2C%20AB%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Edmonton%20Oil,franchise%20history%20on%20Thursday%20morning.' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>sixth head coach in franchise history</a>. The Edmonton Oil Kings organization is very excited to announce the hiring of Jason Smith as our new head coach, said Oil Kings President and General Manager Kirt Hill. Jason is a proven leader and will be a great cultural fit for our staff and players. He brings a wealth of knowledge as not only a coach but through his years of playing experience, and we're excited for this next chapter of Oil Kings hockey. We couldn't be more excited to welcome Jason, Wendy, and his family to Edmonton. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/oilersnation/status/1950959298332471358'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Jason Smith boasts a deep level of experience behind the bench, including recent stints as an assistant coach with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. <h3>Smith Briefly Coached in the NHL With the Ottawa Senators</h3> He was previously the head coach of the WHL's Kelowna Rockets from 2016-2019, compiling a 94-54-12 mark and leading the team to the 2017 Western Conference Final. He's also coached with the Prince George's Cougars and the Ottawa Senators. <a href='https://www.nhl.com/player/jason-smith-8458954' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Smith</a> played a physical, defensive game as a player during a 15-year NHL career that consisted of 1,008 regular-season games with the Oilers, Senators, Flyers, Devils, and Maple Leafs. He totaled 169 points and 1,099 penalty minutes. Smith served as captain of the Oilers for five seasons, including their trip to the 2006 Stanley Cup Final, and wore the C for the Flyers in 2007-08. Smith also spent three seasons in the WHL with the Regina Pats, where he received several league accolades, such as WHL Top Defenceman in 1993. On the international stage, he captured gold with Canada at the 1993 World Juniors and represented Canada once more at the 2001 World Championship. The coaching staff for the Oil Kings in the 2025-26 season is now complete, with Kyle Chipchura coming back as Assistant Coach and Manager of Player Development, Devan Praught as Assistant Coach, Adam Filmon as Video Coach and Manager of Hockey Operations, and Ladislav Smid as Development Coach.