EDMONTON - Tom Renney’s return to the Edmonton Oilers bench has been postponed for a few more days. The head coach has been advised to take a few more games off, but he will start easing his way back from the post-concussion symptoms that have been plaguing him since Feb. 6.

Accordingly, he watched a period of Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with general manager Steve Tambellini and on Monday, he did take in a portion of practice.

Renney wasn’t on the ice, but he was on the bench.

“Tom sat with me for close to a period just to get that intensity, that feeling again,” Tambellini said.

“It will be almost impossible for him to take a complete break. He has come in the odd morning, but we are just trying to take him away from the day-to-day intensity of coaching.

“The best thing for him is to take some time. I know this is very hard on him — to not be at the helm so to speak — but it’s the right thing.“

Associate coach Ralph Krueger will continue to oversee the team in Renney’s absence. He stepped in for Renney in Toronto, hours after the head coach was hit in the head with a puck during practice. He then ran the bench for the game against the Colorado Avalanche as well as the Canucks and he will do so again Tuesday when the Oilers face off against the Calgary Flames in the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Krueger is still looking for his first win.

“Tom could be involved in some capacity (for Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers), but I think it’s best for him at this point just to get more comfortable with the intensity of coaching again,” Tambellini continued. “It’s been recommended that we don’t rush him at this point.”

When he was hit, Renney required 12 stitches to close the cut and he was examined for a concussion. He did not coach that night and stayed away from the team the following day, returning for the Feb. 8 game against the Detroit Red Wings. He admitted then he was still having symptoms.

It was decided last Friday, to keep him away for the weekend to see if it would speed up his recovery.

“You could see he was having a tough time sometimes,” said goaltender Devan Dubnyk. “He was trying not to let us see, he’s that kind of guy … but there’s only so much you can do to hide it.”

“He’s making some progress,” said Tambellini, “but I know it’s driving him crazy not to be a part of the day to day preparation.”

jireland@edmontonjournal.com

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