If someone were to have suggested that Pete DeBoer should be fired any day before May 29, 2025, even the thought would be laughable. But eight days later, the DeBoer era has come to a close in Dallas.
How did a relationship so smooth end so abruptly? A great head coach doesn’t get fired for being unable to get over the Western Conference Final hump. That’s ludicrous. A short and sweet tenure turned bitter in the face of defeat.
It seems that status quo really wasn’t working, but not in the way he intended.
It feels too easy to point the finger at the comments regarding Oettinger as the sole reason for DeBoer’s dismissal. Jim Nill said that it only factored into part of the decision. But the final decision was made after exit interviews for the players.
He had one year left on his contract, while Oettinger is starting an 8-year deal. There’s no obvious coaching option on the market of DeBoer’s caliber either. Both men are professionals, and most likely, the following season would have played out fine, and then the coach and team could have quietly parted ways.
Even if he had pulled Oettinger, but didn’t make those comments, there would be a very good chance he is still the head coach.
But comparing the players' comments after Game 5 versus DeBoer’s, a stark divide emerged. The players took responsibility for leaving Oettinger out to dry. This isn’t a commentary on his goaltending in that series, but rather the united front presented after an overwhelmingly disappointing series.
They played defense in front of their goalie before the media (perhaps, even better defense than Oettinger got in the actual series).
Two days later, Oettinger shouldered his responsibility and criticism with grace. Compared to DeBoer saying that he had not reached out, the goodwill towards the Stars’ former head coach diminished further. It begged the question: where were his priorities? If he couldn’t find time to talk to your elite netminder that you publicly called out less than 48 hours ago, did he care?
Pete DeBoer has a reputation for having tension with his goaltenders. I suppose it took three years for it to emerge in Dallas. On May 29th, it turned to Stars #29. It's most unfortunate.
The Stars’ front office has a tall order ahead of them. DeBoer was a phenomenal coach and made them better. Now, they must find a coach who can take this team to the next level.
It’s with an unfortunately bittersweet taste that we say goodbye to Pete DeBoer. Three straight conference finals in his three seasons was an incredible feat. What a shame that a few words soured the ending.