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.
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).

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 SeasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLgeGPGAPtsPIM+/-GPGAPtsPIM
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
0
0
0
0
0
1997-98
Houston Aeros
IHL
78
26
72
98
86
12
4
0
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
0
3
0
1
1
6
NHL Totals
3
0
0
0
0
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.