EDMONTON - Craig MacTavish won't be back as head coach of the NHL team after it failed to make the playoffs for the third year in a row.
General manager Steve Tambellini says the team needs a new start and they both agree it was time for a change behind the bench.
The Oilers finished 11th in the Western Conference with a record of 38-35-9 for a total of 85 points.
It was the fifth time in the last seven seasons that the team failed to advance to the post-season.
The notable exception was in 2006 when the Oilers lost the Stanley Cup in the seventh game of the deciding series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
MacTavish earlier this week voiced his frustration, wondering about the mix of players and noting his inability to get the best from a team he had predicted would be a contender.
