Oilers Head Coach Quits

June 7, 1999 / 4:47 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Ron Low quit as coach of the Edmonton Oilers Monday after refusing an offer to return for another season at the same salary he earned in 1998-99.

"This has pretty much been in the cards for the last three weeks," Low said in Monday's editions of The Edmonton Journal. "The deal I was offered, I just can't accept it. I'm going to walk."

Low, 48, coached the Oilers for 4 1-2 seasons and was offered the same $325,000 he received last season, the newspaper reported.

"Ron exercised his prerogative to not accept our offer, and stated he wanted to explore opportunities with other teams," general manager Glen Sather said in confirming Low's departure. "I understand his position fully and wish him every success.

"Ron has been a tremendous asset over the years, bringing enthusiasm and hard work to the rink every day, but now we have to look to the future with a new head coach at the helm."

No replacement was announced, but the Journal reported the Oilers were expected to promote assistant Kevin Lowe, a former Edmonton defenseman in its days as an NHL powerhouse, to head coach later Monday.

The Oilers finished the regular season at 33-37-12 and barely made the playoffs. But the season ended abruptly in the first round when they were swept in four games by the Dallas Stars.

Low's departure is not a surprise. His contract expired June 1 and Low waited more than a month before receiving an offer from the Oilers.

Also, Low considered quitting after a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on March 17, a game in which the Oilers were outshot 30-4 by the middle of the second period.

"That Jersey game might have been the lowest point in my life because I thought these guys (his players) were trying to get me out of here," Low said at the time.

Low became the Oilers' coach on April 6, 1995, replacing George Burnett 35 games into the strike-shortened 1994-95 season.

While he was coach, the Oilers never finished the regular season over .500. They missed the playoffs twice and the only time they won more games than they lost was in the two upset playoff series. His final regular-season record is 139-162-40.