Three months after the Dallas Stars’ elimination by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Western Conference Final, Pete DeBoer still defends his decision to pull Jake Oettinger early in Game 5. What he does regret, however, is the way he handled the postgame discussion. Instead of shielding his goaltender from criticism, DeBoer’s comments fueled a narrative that unfairly placed the blame on Oettinger. In hindsight, he admits the loss was a collective failure, not the fault of one player.
Jake Oettinger, who had described being pulled as “embarrassing,” accepted DeBoer’s recent reflection with appreciation. Meeting with NHL.com at the league’s player media tour, Oettinger agreed that his coach was right to emphasize shared responsibility and said he was “glad he said what he said.” With that, the young goaltender turned the page toward a new season, while DeBoer faced the uncertain reality of life after Dallas.
DeBoer’s Roller Coaster Season Balances Career Achievements Against Elusive Stanley Cup
For DeBoer, the past seven months have resembled a roller coaster. He began the year riding high, helping Team Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off as an assistant coach and overseeing Dallas’ acquisition of Mikko Rantanen. Yet momentum evaporated when the Stars lost their final eight regular-season games. While he had guided Dallas to three straight trips to the Western Conference Final, the inability to reach the Stanley Cup Final again proved costly.
The firing does little to diminish DeBoer’s credentials. In three years with Dallas, he posted a 149-68-29 record, the best points percentage in the league during that span, and collected 29 playoff victories. He has 662 wins in 1,261 regular-season games as an NHL coach and 97 wins in the postseason. His reputation as a playoff tactician is highlighted by two trips to the Stanley Cup Final and a perfect 9-0 record in Game 7s. Yet one glaring absence remains: a Stanley Cup championship, making him the winningest coach in postseason history without the trophy.
Pete DeBoer (NHL)DeBoer’s Playoff Resilience Tested as Injuries, Oilers Series Collapse Define Dallas Exit
The 2024 playoffs highlighted DeBoer’s resilience. With star defenseman Miro Heiskanen sidelined by knee surgery and leading scorer Jason Robertson out with injury, the Stars upset the Colorado Avalanche in a seven-game thriller. The victory extended DeBoer’s Game 7 dominance and reinforced his ability to prepare teams for elimination games. Once Heiskanen and Robertson returned, Dallas ousted the Presidents’ Trophy–winning Winnipeg Jets in six games, setting up another showdown with Edmonton.
The Oilers series unraveled quickly. After a 6-3 win in Game 1, Dallas dropped the next three contests by a combined 13-2. Facing elimination in Game 5, Oettinger allowed two goals in the opening minutes, prompting DeBoer to call timeout. His fiery speech targeted the entire team, but his choice to pull Oettinger became the story. DeBoer insists the move was meant to shock the group out of complacency, not single out his goaltender, but admits it became “made out to be about Jake Oettinger.”
The gamble failed. Edmonton closed out the series with a 6-3 win, and DeBoer’s emotional postgame remarks left a lasting sting. A week later, general manager Jim Nill dismissed him, citing the need for a new voice in the locker room. Though he expressed respect for DeBoer’s tenure, the decision underscored the team’s frustration with three consecutive exits at the same stage.
DeBoer Embraces Olympic Challenge While Remaining Open to Future NHL Coaching Roles
Opportunity arrived quickly. Within an hour of his dismissal, DeBoer received calls from Canadian hockey executives Doug Armstrong and Jon Cooper, assuring him that his Olympic role was secure. In fact, his responsibilities would expand as Team Canada prepares for the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina. DeBoer will travel to Italy to inspect facilities and scout NHL talent before the final roster is announced.
For DeBoer, the chance to represent Canada on the Olympic stage is invigorating. He recalls the thrill of coaching at the 4 Nations tournament and describes walking into a room filled with elite Canadian talent as a “pinch yourself” moment. Now, with the Olympics ahead, he views the role as both an honor and an energizing new challenge at a time when his NHL future remains uncertain.
Despite the disappointment in Dallas, DeBoer’s hunger for an NHL return has not waned. He believes strongly in his ability to unite teams and win in the playoffs. Still, his immediate focus is the Olympics, a project he embraces with enthusiasm.
Whether his future includes scouting American Olympians like Oettinger remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: DeBoer has closed the Dallas chapter and is determined to move forward. After a turbulent season, the veteran coach enters the next phase of his career with both humility and optimism.
