Kris Knoblauch

Kris Knoblauch (born September 24, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach, former player and the current head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). He had a total of 13 seasons of coaching experience before joining Hartford, including two seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and seven years as a head coach in the Canadian junior leagues, during which time he compiled a record of 298–130–16–13.
==Career==
Knoblauch is from Imperial, Saskatchewan. He was a seventh-round pick, and the 166th pick overall, of the New York Islanders in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, but never played at the NHL level. Playing in the position of winger, Knoblauch played parts of four seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1995 to 1998 with the Red Deer Rebels, Kootenay Ice, and Lethbridge Hurricanes. He then played for five seasons with the Alberta Golden Bears from 1999 to 2003, during which time he registered 117 points (38 goals and 79 assists) in 102 games. He was part of the team that won a National Championship during the 1999–00 season. Knoblauch would play professionally with the Austin Ice Bats of the Central Hockey League, before finishing his playing career in France as a member of the Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne.
==Coaching career==
Knoblauch began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL during the 2006–07 season. He became an assistant coach with the Kootenay Ice of the WHL for three seasons from 2007 to 2010, becoming the Ice's head coach in 2010. 
===Kootenay Ice===
In his first season with Kootenay during the 2010–11 season, the team posted a 46–21–1–4 record in the regular season, won 16 of 19 WHL playoff games, and won the Ed Chynoweth Cup. Knoblauch continued his success with the Ice the following season, as the team posted a 36-26-5 record, but was swept by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the first round of the WHL playoffs. 
Knoblauch interviewed for the vacant head coaching position with the University of Alberta Golden Bears men's ice hockey team, and did so without consulting the Ice.What happened in Cranbrook? Despite being on the shortlist for the Golden Bears coaching job, Knoblauch was relieved of his head coaching duties with the Ice on 24 May, 2012.Kootenay head coach Kris Knoblauch fired
===Erie Otters===
Knoblauch became the Erie Otters head coach of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), a position he held from 2012 to 2017.
During his four full seasons with the Erie Otters, the team had a 204–58–7–3 record (.768 points percentage) and won at least 50 games each season. They were the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to post four consecutive 50-win seasons. Erie won the OHL Championship in the 2016–17 season under Knoblauch's leadership. Additionally, the Otters made it to the OHL Championship in the 2014–15 season, and won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in recognition of having the OHL's best regular season record in consecutive seasons from 2015–16 and 2016–17. Knoblauch was the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2015–16, making him OHL Coach of the Year that season. He also made OHL's Second All-Star Team in 2013–14.
Knoblauch was the head coach for Canada-Red at the 2015 World U17 Hockey Challenge, and assistant coach with Canada at the 2017 IIHF World U20 Championship, where Canada earned a Silver Medal. During his seven total seasons as head coach of the Kootenay Ice and Erie Otters, Knoblauch compiled a record of 298–130–16–13, and coached such players as Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, André Burakovsky, Connor Brown, Erik Černák, Anthony Cirelli, and Travis Dermott, Sam Reinhart, and Dylan Strome.
===Philadelphia Flyers===
Knoblauch was a Philadelphia Flyers assistant coach during the team's 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons. 
===Hartford Wolf Pack===
The New York Rangers organization announced on July 29, 2019, that Knoblauch had been appointed the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate team. This marks the first time Knoblauch became a head coach at the professional level. Knoblauch replaced Keith McCambridge, who was fired after two seasons as Hartford coach. Knoblauch is the seventh coach in Wolf Pack history. On March 17, 2021, Knoblauch served as the New York Rangers' head coach when David Quinn and his staff were placed on the COVID-19 protocol list, in his first game the Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers 9-0 at MSG. Quinn would be out for six games total, the Rangers won four games and lost two under Knoblauch.
==Career statistics==
===Playing career===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1995–96 	Red Deer Rebels 	WHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Red Deer Rebels 	WHL 	 	43 	4 	14 	18 	29 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Edmonton Ice 	WHL 	 	24 	7 	7 	14 	73 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Edmonton Ice 	WHL 	 	72 	18 	23 	41 	193 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Kootenay Ice 	WHL 	 	21 	7 	3 	10 	36 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Lethbridge Hurricanes 	WHL 	 	52 	20 	22 	42 	102 	 	4 	1 	3 	4 	6
1998–99 	Asheville Smoke 	UHL 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	5
1999–2000	Alberta Golden Bears 	CWUAA 	 	47 	25 	26 	51 	30 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Alberta Golden Bears 	CWUAA 	 	42 	31 	34 	65 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Alberta Golden Bears 	CWUAA 	 	35 	13 	30 	43 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Alberta Golden Bears 	CWUAA 	 	31 	11 	24 	35 	22 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Alberta Golden Bears 	CWUAA 	 	36 	14 	25 	39 	32 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004-05 	Austin Ice Bats 	CHL 	 	60 	18 	22 	40 	76 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Bisons de Neuilly-sur-Marne	Division 1	 	28 	29 	17 	46 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Coaching record==
Team 	Year 	League	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season	Regular Season 	Post Season
Team 	Year 	League	G 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	Pts 	Finish 	Result
KOO 	2010–11 	WHL 	72 	46 	21 	- 	5 	97 	3rd in Central 	Won Ed Chynoweth Cup (POR)
KOO 	2011–12 	WHL 	72 	36 	26 	- 	10 	82 	4th in Central 	Lost in First round (EDM)
ERI 	2012–13 	OHL 	29 	12 	25 	- 	4 	28 	5th in Midwest 	Did not qualify
ERI 	2013–14 	OHL 	68 	52 	14 	- 	2 	106 	2nd in Midwest 	Lost in Third round (GUE)
ERI 	2014–15 	OHL 	68 	50 	14 	- 	4 	104 	1st in Midwest 	Lost in J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals (OSH)
ERI 	2015–16 	OHL 	68 	52 	15 	- 	1 	105 	1st in Midwest 	Lost in Third round (LDN)
ERI 	2016–17 	OHL 	68 	50 	15 	- 	3 	103 	1st in Midwest 	Won J. Ross Robertson Cup (MSA)
HFD 	2019–20 	AHL 	62 	31 	20 	- 	11 	73 	4th in Atlantic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
HFD 	2020–21 	AHL 	24 	14 	9 	- 	1 	29 	2nd in Atlantic	No playoffs due to COVID-19 pandemic
HFD 	2021–22 	AHL 	72 	32 	32 	- 	8 	72 	7th in Atlantic	Missed playoffs
WHL Totals	WHL Totals	 	144 	82 	47 	- 	15 	179 	 	
OHL Totals	OHL Totals	 	301 	216 	83 	- 	14 	446 	 	
AHL Totals	AHL Totals	 	158 	77 	61 	- 	20 	164 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Alberta Golden Bears ice hockey players
Category:Erie Otters coaches
Category:Hartford Wolf Pack
Category:Kootenay Ice coaches
Category:Kootenay Ice players
Category:Lethbridge Hurricanes players
Category:New York Islanders draft picks
Category:Philadelphia Flyers coaches
Category:Prince Albert Raiders coaches
Category:Red Deer Rebels players
Category:Canadian ice hockey forwards
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches