RELEASE: Oilers add DJ Smith as Associate Coach

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Oilers introduced on Tuesday that DJ Smith has been named Associate Coach beneath Mike Babcock.

Smith, 49, most lately served as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, assembling an 11-6-6 document from March 1st by means of the top of the 2025-26 common season. He had initially joined the membership as an assistant in February 2024.

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Smith started his NHL teaching profession as an assistant beneath newly-appointed Oilers head coach Mike Babcock in Toronto in 2015. After 4 seasons with the Maple Leafs, Smith was named head coach of the Ottawa Senators in May 2019.

Over components of 5 seasons and 317 video games behind the bench with the Senators, he compiled a 131-154-32 document. His 131 wins rank second all-time amongst Senators head coaches.

Beginning his teaching days with a return to his junior hockey roots, Smith joined the employees of the Windsor Spitfires in 2005. After eight seasons and a pair of Memorial Cup wins, he took over the teaching reins of the Oshawa Generals in 2012 and guided the membership to an OHL title and a dominant Memorial Cup win in 2015.

Playing junior hockey in his hometown of Windsor, Smith was the Forty first-overall choose within the 1995 NHL Draft by the New York Islanders earlier than being dealt to Toronto in March of 1996 together with Wendell Clark and Mathieu Schneider.

Smith finally noticed motion in 45 NHL video games as a defenseman with Toronto and later the Colorado Avalanche. Smith additionally wearing 393 AHL video games over components of 9 seasons for St. John’s and Hershey, tallying 23 objectives and 92 assists.