The Dallas Stars announced Friday that they have dismissed head coach Pete DeBoer, eight days after the team was eliminated from the Western Conference Final. This marks the third consecutive season the Stars have reached and lost at this stage of the playoffs, falling to the Edmonton Oilers in five games this year.
General manager Jim Nill issued a statement explaining the decision, stating, “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 also thanked DeBoer for his contributions over the past three seasons and wished him well. DeBoer had one year remaining on his contract.
A point of contention during the Stars` final game was DeBoer`s choice to pull starting goaltender Jake Oettinger early in Game 5 after he allowed two goals on the first two shots faced, giving Edmonton a quick 2-0 lead. The coach later defended this action as an attempt to energize the team and cited Oettinger`s past performance issues against the Oilers.
This move, particularly given Oettinger is set to begin an eight-year contract extension significantly increasing his salary, led to questions regarding the relationship between the coach and the team`s star goalie. DeBoer reiterated his stance on the decision in subsequent media availability, while Oettinger focused on his own performance, stating his job is to stop the puck and improve, seeing the coaching dynamic as “extra stuff.”
The Stars` streak of three straight losses in the round before the Stanley Cup Final puts them in rare historical company. Their coaching vacancy now adds another significant opening in what has already been a busy offseason for NHL head coaching changes. Finding a new bench boss is just one challenge facing the team this summer, as they also navigate a projected $4.955 million in cap space and decisions regarding seven pending unrestricted free agents, including captain Jamie Benn and forward Matt Duchene.
Gareth Tenby