The Dallas Stars have announced the dismissal of head coach Peter DeBoer, coming eight days after their defeat in the Western Conference finals for the third consecutive year.
DeBoer`s tenure with the team, which had one year left on his contract, became uncertain following the Stars` five-game series loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
In a statement, Stars general manager Jim Nill explained the decision:
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. 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.
In the decisive Game 5, the Stars quickly fell into a 2-0 deficit as goaltender Jake Oettinger allowed two goals on the first two shots. DeBoer replaced Oettinger with Casey DeSmith in an attempt to energize the team. Although the Stars managed to narrow the gap twice, they ultimately lost the game 6-3.
Following Game 5, DeBoer commented on his decision to substitute the goalie:
Any time you pull a goalie the reasoning is to always try and spark your group… We had talked endlessly in this series about trying to play with the lead, and obviously, we`re in a 2-0 hole right away. I didn`t take that lightly, and 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`s comments fueled further speculation regarding his relationship with Oettinger, especially considering Oettinger`s crucial role in the Stars becoming consistent Stanley Cup contenders over the last three years.
This speculation is particularly noteworthy as Oettinger is about to begin an eight-year contract extension, significantly increasing his annual salary from $4 million to $8.25 million.
Two days later, during the team`s season-ending media availability, DeBoer reiterated his stance on pulling Oettinger. He claimed there wasn`t “a bigger fan” of Oettinger than himself but admitted he hadn`t yet spoken to the 26-year-old goalie.
Oettinger, who had not spoken immediately after Game 5, also addressed the media during this availability.
The reality is if I make one or two or two of those saves, then I`m still playing in the game. The way I`m looking at it is, how can I get better from that? How can I make those saves that I made all playoffs?
When asked about potential concerns regarding his relationship with DeBoer, Oettinger responded:
My job is to stop the puck. And I feel like I`m one of the best in the world, when I`m playing well, doing that. So that`s all I`m in a focus on… All the extra stuff is just extra stuff to me. … If I go out there next year and I`m the best goalie in the world, it doesn`t matter. One of you guys could be coaching, it doesn`t matter. Just try to be the best I can be, learn from the experience.
The Stars organization did not comment directly on DeBoer`s management of Oettinger, but the team`s playoff performance speaks for itself. Dallas now shares a distinction with the 1975-77 Islanders as the only teams in the expansion era to be eliminated in the conference finals for three consecutive years.
The Stars` coaching vacancy is expected to re-energize the league`s coaching market, which seemed to have settled after the Boston Bruins hired former forward Marco Sturm on Thursday.
Dallas is now the ninth team searching for a head coach this offseason, joining a cycle that has already seen significant moves like Mike Sullivan joining the Rangers from Pittsburgh, Joel Quenneville signing with Anaheim, and Rick Tocchet moving from Vancouver to Philadelphia.
The search for a new coach coincides with an offseason where, according to PuckPedia, the Stars are projected to have $4.955 million in salary cap space. This limited space will need to address a roster with seven pending unrestricted free agents, including key players like captain Jamie Benn and center Matt Duchene.
