Adam Oates

Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Edmonton Oilers from 1985 to 2004. Known as an elite playmaker, Oates's career total of 1,079 assists was the fifth-highest total in NHL history at the time of his 2004 retirement. He has the second highest number of games played and points scored among undrafted NHL players (behind Wayne Gretzky) with 1,337 and 1,420, respectively.

After retiring as a player, Oates served as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils before joining the Capitals as their head coach for two seasons, from 2012 to 2014. In 2017, Oates was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.

As a college player, Oates was a standout forward for the RPI Engineers. He set single-season school records for assists and points. He was named an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) all-star and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American in both 1984 and 1985. Oates was named a tournament all-star in helping RPI win the 1985 national championship, and in 1990–91, the NHL included him in its second All-Star team; he played in five All-Star Games. He holds the record for most points all-time of any NHL player who also played NCAA Hockey.

Oates was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2012.

Early life Oates was born on August 27, 1962, in Weston, a neighbourhood in Toronto. As a youth, he played both hockey and box lacrosse, favouring the latter sport. He played in the 1975 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Toronto.

Oates played five seasons with the Etobicoke Eclipse of the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) Junior A Lacrosse League. As the league's leading scorer, he won the Bobby Allan Award and in one game that season, set OLA Junior A single-game records of 19 assists and 29 points. Oates played two full seasons and parts of a third with the Junior A Markham Waxers of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJAHL). He scored 89 points in 43 games during 1980–81 and 159 points – including 105 assists – in 1981–82. He returned to high school to complete his diploma when he was recruited to play for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Consequently, Oates played three seasons with the RPI Engineers, leading the team in assists each year. After scoring 42 points in 22 games in his freshman season of 1982–83, Again named an NCAA All-American, he was voted to the ECAC first all-star team and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top hockey player in the NCAA. After helping RPI win the 1985 national championship, he was included in the all-tournament team. Oates was voted to the ECAC's all-decade team of the 1980s. He made his NHL debut on October 10, 1985, against the Minnesota North Stars, scoring his first goal that night on goaltender Don Beaupre and added an assist. After this, Oates struggled offensively and was pointless in his following 16 games; the team subsequently demoted him to the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League (AHL). Oates split the remainder of the season between Detroit and Adirondack, finishing his first NHL season with 38 games played, 9 goals and 11 assists. He scored 18 goals and 28 assists in 34 games in the AHL. and finished third in team scoring with 78 points in 1988–89. However, Detroit made changes following a first round loss in the playoffs; Oates, along with Paul MacLean, was traded to the St. Louis Blues on June 15, 1989, in exchange for veterans Bernie Federko and Tony McKegney. The deal, which is now considered one of the worst in Red Wings' history, left Oates "heartbroken" to leave his first NHL club. In 1989–90, Oates topped the 100-point mark for the first time in his career with 102 points. He improved to 115 in 1990–91. the latter the third highest in single-season total in NHL history. Oates was named to the second all-star team following the season and played in the 1991 All-Star Game. After playing in his second career All-Star Game,

Boston and Washington Oates' best individual season came in his first full year in Boston. He led the league with 97 assists in 1992–93 and finished third in overall scoring with 142 points. At the 1993 All-Star Game, Oates set a record by recording four assists in one period as part of a 16–6 victory for the Wales Conference.

A finger injury suffered during the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs hampered Oates throughout the 1994–95 season and required surgery at the season's conclusion. Despite the injury, Oates finished fourth in the NHL with 41 assists in a season disrupted by a work stoppage. but Oates once again became frustrated with his salary relative to the rest of the league by 1997. With the Bruins struggling on the ice and out of playoff contention late in 1996–97 season, Oates publicly berated team management, saying, "You go on a [road] trip and everyone says it's a big trip. For what? So we can win five games because we're lousy and we get in the eighth spot and lose four straight and get embarrassed and then get shelled all summer? It's upstairs, baby. That's their job, not ours. ... Are we rebuilding? What are we doing? What direction are we going in?"

Less than two weeks after his tirade, on March 1, 1997, Oates was traded to the Washington Capitals. In the trade, Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet went to Washington in exchange for Jim Carey, Anson Carter, Jason Allison and two draft picks, 3rd Round 1997 (Lee Goren) & Conditional 2nd Round 1998 (Bobby Allen) He continued to demand a new contract in the off-season, while his agent claimed Oates would retire before playing for the Capitals again. After several months of contentious negotiations, the two sides agreed to a three-year contract worth around $2.9 million per season with an option on a fourth year.

Oates became the 47th player in NHL history, and the 15th fastest, to score his 1,000th career point on October 7, 1997, against the New York Islanders. He reached the milestone by scoring a hat-trick and adding two assists for the sixth five-point game of his career. The Capitals reached the 1998 Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in a four-game sweep; their first finals appearance in franchise history.

The Capitals named Oates the ninth captain in franchise history prior to the 1999–2000 season, following the departure of his predecessor, Dale Hunter. He led the team in scoring with 71 points and played his 1,000th NHL game on December 22, 1999, against the Vancouver Canucks.

Philadelphia, Anaheim and Edmonton With Washington out of playoff contention late in the 2001–02 season and with his contract expiring following the season, the Capitals traded Oates to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 19, 2002, in exchange for goaltender Maxime Ouellet and the Flyers' first, second and third round selections in the 2002 NHL entry draft. The Flyers hoped that bringing Oates in would solidify their playoff chances. The move did not work, as the Flyers were defeated in the first round by the lower ranked Ottawa Senators, losing the series in five games. The team scored only one goal in regulation time and were shut-out three times by Ottawa's Patrick Lalime.

The Flyers chose not to offer Oates a new contract following the loss, making him an unrestricted free agent. He then signed a $3.5 million contract for the 2002–03 season, with an option for 2003–04, with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on July 1, 2002. He scored 45 points in 67 games with the Mighty Ducks, and added 13 points in 21 playoff games. The Ducks ultimately lost the series in seven games.

The Mighty Ducks declined their option on the 41-year-old Oates' contract, again making him a free agent. He remained unsigned six weeks into the 2003–04 season until he agreed to a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on November 17, 2003. He appeared in 60 games in Edmonton, scoring 2 goals and 16 assists.

Playing style

Oates was one of the NHL's great playmakers, a style that he credits his father as encouraging: "It was just kind of our family talks: 'If you can be unselfish, your teammates will always like you.' And it just kind of became my role, where I was obviously trying to please my dad, growing up and becoming a playmaker out of that." Oates' father, a British immigrant, idolized Stanley Matthews, considered one of the greatest association football (soccer) players of all-time and hoped that his son would adopt a pass-first mentality similar to Matthews.

Honours At the time of Oates' retirement, his 1,420 points were the 13th highest total in NHL history, and his 1,079 assists ranked 5th. The Markham Waxers retired his jersey number 10 in 1999. In 2004 he was inducted into the RPI athletics hall of fame, and he was the first person to be enshrined on the RPI ring of honor in 2005. In 2016 Oates was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. In January 2017, Oates was part of the first group of players to be named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history by the National Hockey League. In 2024 Oates was inducted into the Ontario Junior Hockey league Hall of Fame.

Hall of Fame Oates was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of its 2012 class. Under his guidance, the team's power play finished ninth in the league and he was credited with playing a significant role in Steven Stamkos' offensive development. Oates then joined the New Jersey Devils in 2010, where he served an additional two years as an assistant coach, helping the team reach the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, which they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games. New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello praised Oates' work with the team: "He did an outstanding job for us. I wish him well. He's very communicative, very intelligent, he explains things very well. He has the resume behind him as a player and having the success he had – all the credentials are there for having the kind of respect players have for him."

Washington Capitals The same day Oates was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame, June 26, 2012, he returned to Washington Capitals, where he was named the 16th head coach in franchise history, succeeding Dale Hunter, who had decided not to renew his contract. Oates' former teammates praised his appointment as head coach, calling him a "detail-oriented players' coach" with excellent communication skills. While the 2012–13 NHL lockout delayed Oates' debut with the Capitals, he acted as co-coach with Mark French for Washington's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

When the NHL resumed for the shortened 2012–13 season, Oates and the Capitals struggled initially and won only 2 of their first 11 games. However, the team improved throughout the season and went from last place in the Southeast Division to first; they won 15 of their final 19 games to win the division title. Oates' players praised his positive outlook and willingness to work closely with them as primary reasons why the team was able to turn its season around.

The Capitals struggled throughout the 2013–14 season and faced increasing discontent from the fans as the team had failed to advance far into the playoffs in 16 years. The team finished with a 38–30–14 record, but finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs. As a consequence, the Capitals opted to dismiss both Oates as head coach and the team's general manager, George McPhee.

New Jersey Devils On December 27, 2014, Oates was hired by the New Jersey Devils to become what the team referred to as a "co-head coach" following the team's firing of head coach Peter DeBoer. Oates split coaching duties with former Devils captain Scott Stevens, with each coach responsible for a specific group of players; Oates was responsible for the forwards while Stevens was responsible for the defensemen.

Personal life Although Oates left RPI after three years to begin his professional hockey career, he continued his studies during the offseasons. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from the school in 1991. While a member of the Bruins, Oates also worked for a brief time with the investment firm Boston Capital Partners.

His parents are David and Loretta, and he has two sisters: Michelle and Laurel. He also founded the Oates Sports Group, where he mentors upcoming hockey players, holding development programs in Boston, Toronto and Minneapolis.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1979–80 Markham Waxers OPJAHL 9 1 6 7 2 — — — — — 1980–81 Markham Waxers OPJAHL 43 36 53 89 89 — — — — — 1981–82 Markham Waxers OPJAHL 47 54 105 159 30 — — — — — 1982–83 R.P.I Engineers ECAC 22 9 33 42 8 — — — — — 1983–84 R.P.I Engineers ECAC 38 26 57 83 15 — — — — — 1984–85 R.P.I Engineers ECAC 38 31 60 91 29 — — — — — 1985–86 Detroit Red Wings NHL 38 9 11 20 10 — — — — — 1985–86 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 34 18 28 46 4 17 7 14 21 4 1986–87 Detroit Red Wings NHL 76 15 32 47 21 16 4 7 11 6 1987–88 Detroit Red Wings NHL 63 14 40 54 20 16 8 12 20 6 1988–89 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 16 62 78 14 6 0 8 8 2 1989–90 St. Louis Blues NHL 80 23 79 102 30 12 2 12 14 4 1990–91 St. Louis Blues NHL 61 25 90 115 29 13 7 13 20 10 1991–92 St. Louis Blues NHL 54 10 59 69 12 — — — — — 1991–92 Boston Bruins NHL 26 10 20 30 10 15 5 14 19 4 1992–93 Boston Bruins NHL 84 45 97 142 32 4 0 9 9 4 1993–94 Boston Bruins NHL 77 32 80 112 45 13 3 9 12 8 1994–95 Boston Bruins NHL 48 12 41 53 8 5 1 0 1 2 1995–96 Boston Bruins NHL 70 25 67 92 18 5 2 5 7 2 1996–97 Boston Bruins NHL 63 18 52 70 10 — — — — — 1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 17 4 8 12 4 — — — — — 1997–98 Washington Capitals NHL 82 18 58 76 36 21 6 11 17 8 1998–99 Washington Capitals NHL 59 12 42 54 22 — — — — — 1999–00 Washington Capitals NHL 82 15 56 71 14 5 0 3 3 4 2000–01 Washington Capitals NHL 81 13 69 82 28 6 0 0 0 0 2001–02 Washington Capitals NHL 66 11 57 68 22 — — — — — 2001–02 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 14 3 7 10 6 5 0 2 2 0 2002–03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 67 9 36 45 16 21 4 9 13 6 2003–04 Edmonton Oilers NHL 60 2 16 18 8 — — — — — NHL totals 1,337 341 1,079 1,420 415 163 42 114 156 66

Coaching Season Team League Regular season Postseason G W L OTL Pct Division rank Result 2012–13 Washington Capitals NHL 48 27 18 3 .600 1st, Southeast Lost in first round (NYR) 2013–14 Washington Capitals NHL 82 38 30 14 .549 5th, Metropolitan Missed playoffs NHL totals 130 65 48 17 .565 1 playoff appearance

Awards and honours College Award Year Ref. All-ECAC Hockey Second Team 1983–84 AHCA East First-Team All-American 1983–841984–85 All-NCAA All-Tournament Team 1985 RPI athletics hall of fame2004

National Hockey League Award Year Ref. Second team All-Star 1990–91 Boston Bruins Award Year Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy 1992-93 Bruins 3 Stars Award 1992-93 1993-94 1995-96 Named One of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time 2023 Other honors

Markham Waxers retired his jersey #10 in 1999.

2016 Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame inductee