Oilers Add Another Assistant Coach

So it lines up as follows:

Pat Quinn as Head Coach with Tom Renney as the Associate Coach. Kelly Buchburger is their Assistant Coach, and now so is Wayne Fleming.

According to Steve Tambellini, “Wayne brings an array of experience from both the NHL and International level," “We feel his knowledge of the game will be a compliment to our coaching staff.”

His resume as reported by the Oilers official website: Fleming previously was the Head Coach for the 2008-09 Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. He had been with the Calgary Flames as an assistant coach from 2006 to 2008 after three seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia posted a 130-67-39-10 during Fleming’s time with the club. He was also an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes during the 1999-2000 season and prior to that he was with the New York Islanders for two seasons (1997-98 and 19998-99).

I would hope this isn't something that management feels will help the team and its fans cope with the lackluster summer thus far, but more something that was always in the works. Evidence would suggest as much since the press conference when Quinn and Renney were announced as coaches left room for another assistance to be added.

His role as coach or his area of specialty is not something that may be known at this point, but that news could come with time. He's also not coming without his own fair share of controversy. He's the only coach I know of to ever be fired in the middle of a game. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=262540&lid=sublink09&lpos=headlines_nhl

Perhaps too, (and this is only speculation) Fleming adds a bit more to the Jagr conversation as he was close to him and has had the opportunity for plenty of one on one conversations. I'm sure brings connections along with him in that department, which doesn't necessarily translate into action. It's fun to speculate though.