The summer is long and the news is scarce, but the rumour mill is always churning and the latest rumour has the Edmonton Oilers finalizing their coaching staff ranks by adding Brian Wiseman as an assistant coach. Wiseman has been an assistant with the NCAA Michigan Wolverines programs since 2011.

Sources tells me Brian Wiseman, Associate Head Coach at Michigan is leaving to be assistant coach with the @EdmontonOilers and Dave Tippett. #CawlidgeHawkey pic.twitter.com/OOM0aAcvzn — Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) July 22, 2019

Brian Wiseman will join Jim Playfair on Dave Tippett’s coaching staff. Glen Gulutzan remains as an assistant from the previous two coaching regimes (Ken Hitchcock and Todd McClellan).

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Who is Brian Wiseman?

Well, to be honest, it’s been a while since I have heard the name Wiseman and so I fired up the old google machine and while his playing career was short (multiple stints in the IHL, a cup of coffee in the AHL and three whole games in the NHL) his stats were nothing short of special:

Regular Season Playoffs Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM +/- GP G A Pts PIM 1990-91 U. of Michigan CCHA 47 25 33 58 58 1991-92 U. of Michigan CCHA 44 27 44 71 76 1992-93 U. of Michigan CCHA 35 13 37 50 40 1993-94 U. of Michigan CCHA 40 19 50 69 44 1994-95 Chicago Wolves IHL 75 17 55 72 52 -3 3 1 1 2 4 1995-96 Chicago Wolves IHL 73 33 55 88 117 1 — — — — — 1996-97 St. John’s Maple Leafs AHL 71 33 62 95 83 -11 7 5 4 9 8 1996-97 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 3 — — — — — 1997-98 Houston Aeros IHL 78 26 72 98 86 12 4 3 3 8 1998-99 Houston Aeros IHL 77 21 88 109 106 28 19 3 13 16 26 1999-00 Houston Aeros IHL 72 15 38 53 52 3 1 1 6

Near as I can tell, he is a bit of cult hero in the Houston hockey scene. After walking away from the playing days in Houston, it didn’t take long for Wiseman to end up back in the arena when he was hired by the Dallas Stars in 2002. The man that added him to his staff as a video coach? The newest bench boss in Edmonton, Dave Tippett. So the connection makes sense, as Wiseman comes full circle with his Aeros teammate Tippett, after working as an assistant at Princeton and in Houston with the Aeros before landing in Michigan with the Wolverines since 2011.



