Edmonton’s two head coaches swapped uniforms on Thursday as a sign of mutual respect.
Mark Kilam, who was hired as the Edmonton Elks’ new head coach last week, received an Oilers jersey from Kris Knoblauch, who was presented with an Elks jersey.
Knoblauch, a 46-year-old native of Imperial, Sask., took over as the head coach of the Oilers partway through the 2023-24 season, leading the team to a 46-18-5 record and an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. The team currently sits fifth in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a record of 13-10-2.
Both coaches are alumni of the University of Alberta, even overlapping for a time in the school’s athletic department. Kilam was a linebacker for the Golden Bears football team from 1997 to 2001, while Knoblauch played forward on the hockey team for five seasons from 1999 to 2004.
McDavid 🤝 Kilam#AlwaysEdmonton | @EdmontonOilers pic.twitter.com/Ld35FhXbRe
— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) December 5, 2024
Kilam also met Oilers captain and superstar centre Connor McDavid. The 27-year-old native of Richmond Hill, Ont. has won five Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Memorial Trophies, four Ted Lindsay Awards, and one Conn Smythe Trophy.
The native of Lethbridge, Alta. spent the past 20 years with the Calgary Stampeders but has deep ties to the Alberta capital. He attended his first CFL game at Commonwealth Stadium at the age of six and first played football at Gilbert Paterson Middle School, whose team wore green and gold and bore the Elks’ former moniker.
Kilam won three Grey Cups with the Stampeders as an assistant coach. He has already started filling out his coaching staff in Edmonton, hiring Jordan Maksymic and J.C. Sherritt.
