Oliers appoint Tippett as new coach

The Edmonton Oilers introduced Dave Tippett as their coach at a news conference on Tuesday. Tippett replaces Ken Hitchcock, who was fired May 7 as general manager and president of hockey operations following a 35-38-9 season.

Ken Holland, a longtime executive with the Detroit Red Wings, was named general manager. "I come to a team that has lots of upside," Tippett told reporters. "Everybody talks about [captain Connor] McDavid and forward Draisaitl. There's more pieces here [than them]. There's good players to build on.

"Ken and I ... are very much in alignment with the pace of play we want to play at, how hard we have to compete, allowing players to maximize their talents. That's a coach's responsibility." Tippett has 14 seasons of head coaching experience, first with the Dallas Stars (2002-09), then with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes (2009-17). He has a career coaching record of 553-413-28.

Under Tippett, 57, the Stars made the playoffs five times and the Coyotes three times. He won the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL's top coach, in 2010. He most recently served as an adviser to the expansion Seattle franchise. The Oilers have made the playoffs just once since their loss in the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.