The Dallas Stars are moving on from Pete DeBoer after the head coach was unable to get them over the Western Conference Finals hump for a third straight year.
Stars GM Jim Nill announced the firing Friday morning, eight days after the Stars were eliminated in five games by the Edmonton Oilers. DeBoer had one year remaining on the four-year contract he signed with the Stars in June of 2022.
“After careful consideration, we believe that a new voice is needed in our locker room to push us closer to our goal of winning the Stanley Cup,” Nill said in a statement. “We’d like to thank Pete for everything that he has helped our organization achieve over the past three seasons and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
DeBoer created some controversy during Dallas’ Game 5 loss to the Oilers, pulling star goaltender Jake Oettinger early in the first period after he gave up two goals on two shots. After the game, DeBoer then doubled down on his decision despite the 6-3 elimination loss.
“I didn’t blame it all on Jake, but the reality is, if you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton,” DeBoer said. “And we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. It was partly to spark our team and wake them up. And partly knowing that status quo had not been working, and that’s a pretty big sample size.”
Oettinger later dismissed any concerns that the early pulling would upset his relationship with DeBoer, and Stars owner Tom Gaglardi also threw his support behind the veteran bench boss.
“Are you kidding me? He’s a top-three, top-five coach in the league,” Gaglardi told The Dallas Morning News last week. “I’m just one voice in the discussion but I don’t see [firing] Pete being on anyone’s agenda.”
DeBoer departs Dallas after posting a 149-68-29 record in 246 games and a 29-27 record in the playoffs. The 56-year-old Ontario native has also previously coached the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Vegas Golden Knights. He has never won a Stanley Cup, despite appearing in two Cup Finals and having a perfect 9-0 record in Game 7s.
With DeBoer out, the Stars are the only team in the NHL without a head coach for next season. The Bruins were previously without a bench boss until they officially hired Marco Sturm on Thursday morning. Both Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Hershey Bears head coach Todd Nelson could end up being candidates for the position.
