Edmonton Oil Kings Head Coach Jason Smith (1/27/26)
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Hey, it's Bob Stauffer. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Oilers Now ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime. Again, if you're hearing the music here at Rogers Place, it's picture day for the next two and a half hours. So we're looking forward to that after today's edition of Oilers Now. Bob Stauffer with you. And we are going to tell you Royal Pizza, Pizza Pasta, and so much more. If you don't like me, You can blame Royal Pizza because they've been an advertiser of mine since 1998. And I'd like to tell you the reason why Royal Pizza's gone from 3 to 15 locations at Edmonton is because they've advertised on Total Sports and Oilers Now and Golden Bears broadcasts. But it's because they've had great pizza.
They've also been a big supporter of the Edmonton Oil Kings over the years. Royal Pizza. Pizza passed in so much more for a menu and a list of their 15 Edmonton area locations. Visit royalpizza.ca where we'll stop for recommendations on Mediterranean chicken. Brendan Escott, who's coming up today at 6. He's a big fan of the Texan. As we bring aboard live here at Rogers Place, he took the time to walk across the street. We both live in the same building, so it's about an eight-minute walk if you include getting out of your room and taking the elevator down. It is time for the Oil Kings Report brought to you by Sherwood Power Sports and Marine. Your home for boats, ATVs, motorbikes, and all the gear you need.
It is former Ebbets owners captain. And the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, Jason Smith. Hello, Jason. How you doing? Very good. Very good. You made the prime broadcast last night. You're on with... So you've gone from the outhouse being with me to the penthouse being with Chris Pronger. When I bring up the name Chris Pronger, what do you think of?
Elite player. Big part of our run to the finals and a good human being.
Yeah. He... You know, we've stayed in touch over the last several years. And we had a humorous exchange, as you know, during the 06 year. And you were the captain of the team, and I was never shy in sharing my opinions. And at times, players would occasionally... I've gotten a little bit more diplomatic with them over the years. But something got misinterpreted with what I said on the air. And not with George. With George LaRock, it was pretty direct. But I still care about George to this day. But Prager, for me, was probably for about a 20-year run, was one of the three best defensemen on the planet. Maybe a 15-year run. But it didn't happen overnight for him. He really struggled his first three years at Hartford.
And it took you some time as well as you came up through New Jersey, then you were at the Leafs. And is there a cautionary tale there in jumping on defensemen too early? Because it is a hard position to play, Jason.
Oh, for sure. I mean, I think, you know, the learning curve on the back end and, you know, the awareness you need on the ice, playing different players, I think... A lot of players that get drafted out of junior or out of college or out of Europe that are really successful in the league they're playing in. Get to the NHL and it's a whole different game. The speed, the high elite skilled players can really make you look bad in a hurry. Getting the opportunity to be on a team like I was in Jersey with the defensive guys and having Larry Robinson as a coach and having Scotty Stevens and Kenny Danico and Bruce Driver around really made... made the transition easier for me. But it was still tough, I think.
You go from being a player and junior, creating offense and getting involved in the offense and being kind of a point guy, the guy that's relied upon to being a player that you have to defend in this league. Yeah. Like it's imperative. If you're not willing to defend and block shots and kill plays in the defensive zone, it's a very hard transition.
Jason Smith, the former captain of the Edmonton Oilers and the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings. So you took a little – I mean, I love Larry Robinson. loved him people forget when he first came into the nhl he was not the 60 or 70 point larry robinson he worked as he was a tough guy like he threw down and kicked the crap out of dave schultz back in 1974 and earned himself a pretty wide berth because he was a big strong man big strong farm guy that knew how to look after himself and then his offense came with time and sometimes that happens
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–7:23
2
Who is Jason Smith and why is he on the Oilers Now show?
7:23–7:47
3
How did Jason Smith describe his relationship with Chris Pronger and past teammates?
7:47–14:05
4
What lessons did Jason Smith learn about developing NHL defensemen?
14:05–17:13