When Kris Knoblauch became coach of the Edmonton Oilers, they had lost 10 of their first 13 games and the Stanley Cup was the last thing anyone on the team was talking about.

Since then, no team in the NHL has won more games and Knoblauch is a big reason they are in the final. It comes as no surprise to those who know Knoblauch to see him making the most of his first chance to be an NHL head coach.

“He’s paid his dues, he’s worked hard and now he’s getting an opportunity,” said veteran coach Rob Daum, whom Knoblauch played for at the University of Alberta from 1999-2004 .

“A lot of times coaches get maybe too much credit and too much blame when things go good or bad, but I think in this situation because of the circumstances when Kris took the team over, it’s hard to ignore the impact he’s had on this team.”

The fall struggles feel far away now, with the Oilers in the final against Florida and four victories away from the franchise’s first championship since 1990.

None of this seemed possible under Jay Woodcroft. Knoblauch replaced him Nov. 12 and brought a straightforward, calm approach to a star-studded team that needed a steady hand.

The organization found that in the 45-year-old from the Saskatchewan prairie, who has traversed North America with wife Autumn and children Marek and Emry. He abandoned his dream of being a police officer to go into coaching, a path that has allowed him to make use of his education degree.

“He’s not a teller and a yeller — he’s a teacher,” said longtime junior hockey executive Sherry Bassin, who owned the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League during part of Knoblauch’s run there. “He’s a student of the game.”

A decade after coaching Connor McDavid in Erie, Knoblauch has again gotten the best out of the sport’s biggest star and his teammates, from Leon Draisaitl to goaltender Stuart Skinner. Daum believes Knoblauch is the same person he was more than two decades ago; now 45, he has not wavered from his approach.

“He doesn’t really get worked up over too much, and he’s not screaming in your ear or whatever it may be,” said Detroit forward Alex DeBrincat, who played three seasons for Knoblauch in Erie, culminating with an OHL title in 2017. “It kind of keeps that calm vibe on the bench, and I think you just kind of stick to the game plan and play your game. I think that’s a big thing with why he’s had teams that are successful.”

Much like DeBrincat, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart credited Knoblauch for being a big part of his development during their time together in junior with the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice.

“Seems like a lifetime ago,” Reinhart said. “He’s obviously had a tremendous amount of success since, so no surprise he’s gotten to where he is.”