Report: Oilers to hire Tippett as head coach

The Edmonton Oilers will name Dave Tippett as their head coach on Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Mark Spector.

Tippett's contract will be for three years, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The 57-year-old will take a wealth of coaching experience with him to Edmonton, where he will serve as the 16th bench boss in franchise history.

Tippett was the Dallas Stars' head coach for six seasons from 2002 to 2009, during which the team earned a conference finals berth in 2008.

After his dismissal in Dallas, Tippett moved to the then-Phoenix Coyotes and found instant success. He was named the Jack Adams Award recipient in his first year with the team after guiding the Coyotes to a franchise-record 107 points. He took them to the conference finals two seasons later but would miss the postseason during his last five years in the desert before he was relieved of his duties after 2016-17.

Tippett, a Moosomin, Saskatchewan native, was hired by Seattle's upcoming NHL team as a senior advisor last summer.

Despite boasting ample star power with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years. Todd McLellan was fired after a 9-10-1 start to last season, and his interim replacement, Ken Hitchcock, didn't fare much better, going 26-28-9 the rest of the way.

Tippett's hiring marks the first major move made by new general manager and president of hockey operations Ken Holland.

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