Oil Kings Head Coach Jason Smith (4/7/26)

·22 min·2 clips

The Oilers, tied for first with five games left, face Utah tonight, who are just one point behind in the Western Conference.

The episode opens with Bob Stauffer in Salt Lake City, setting up the Oilers' crucial late-season game against Utah, who are one point behind in the Western Conference. Stauffer shares personal anecdotes about the city and a Utah band. He then shifts to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who lost in overtime in Game 7 of the WHL playoffs to Saskatoon the previous night. The show previews upcoming segments, including interviews with Jason Smith, Craig MacTavish, and Brian Lawton. Stauffer discusses Oilers injuries, noting Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl are out, and how Draisaitl's absence has dropped the power play efficiency from 32.6% to 29.7%. Connor McDavid comments on the team adapting without key players. A detailed game-day lineup report follows, listing forwards, defensemen, and goalies for both teams, with stats like Evan Bouchard's performance against Utah. Stauffer interviews Jason Smith, the Oil Kings head coach, who analyzes the playoff loss, citing lack of execution and injuries to players like Max Kern and Blake Fidler. Smith praises Miroslav Holenka's development and discusses the team's resilience in the series. The episode concludes with promotions and a news update, emphasizing the Oilers' playoff push and the Oil Kings' offseason plans.

As heard by us

A Utah pregame uses Edmonton's missing clinching X to weigh qualification, seeding, and home ice.

Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer frames Edmonton's game in Utah around a still-unclaimed clinching X, turning a regular-season matchup into a discussion about qualification, seeding, and what home ice is really worth.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Drop into Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer in Salt Lake City, where Edmonton is still chasing the playoff-clinching X before a Utah matchup and Jason Smith is part of the hour.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Oilers NOW with Bob Stauffer