Sask. father of Oilers’ coach excited for Stanley Cup final

Robert Knoblauch and his wife Holly watched anxiously from their home near Imperial, Sk. on Sunday night, as the seconds ticked down on the third period of the Edmonton Oilers’ Game 6 against the Dallas Stars, and their son, head coach Kris Knoblauch, stood behind the Oilers’ bench.

The Oilers held on to their 2-1 lead, winning the Western Conference Final series for the first time in 18 years. The team now prepares to head to Florida to take on the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

Robert said he’s proud of their son.

“Usually I’m the one pacing around, but last night my wife beat me to it … so I sat, she paced (and) when it was finally over, we were both on our feet. It was pretty good,” he described.

Seeing Kris, who got the job seven months ago is still surreal.

“We’re really excited. I don’t know what else to say about it. It’s just overwhelming.”

Kris texted his father Monday morning, and let him know he wouldn’t be taking a break and that he’d be in the hockey rink, getting ready for Saturday’s game.

“He’ll be down at the rink, going over game tape, watching what Florida’s doing and making game plans,” he said.

At this point, the pair aren’t planning to hop on a plane to Florida.

“We’re hoping to head to Edmonton for games three and four … just the atmosphere and the fan base – it makes it more relaxing to watch (games) with thousands of people than sitting at home by yourself. It’s much easier and nicer watching it at the Rogers Centre,” he said.

He said it’s great seeing how much his son has accomplished in the short time he’s been behind the Oilers bench.

“He’s worked hard at it for I think almost 20 years, moving up the ranks. We know the amount of hard work and time he’s put into it,” said Robert.

He’s also thrilled by the number of people who approach them to congratulate Kris.

“It’s quite a feeling that everybody’s behind him,” he said. “At times it doesn’t seem real.”