A coaching controversy is brewing in Dallas. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Dallas Stars players were displeased with Pete DeBoer’s coaching tactics during the Western Conference Final and his postgame remarks after Game 5.
Pagnotta correctly noted that DeBoer’s contract concludes after the 2025-26 NHL season, so it could be some time before they make a move on DeBoer’s future, assuming they turn their players’ feedback into actionable consequences. It seems that much of the frustration is stemming from DeBoer’s treatment of netminder Jake Oettinger, whom he unceremoniously pulled in Game 5 after allowing two goals on two shots.
DeBoer’s comments after the game did nothing to help. Chastising Oettinger to the media after being eliminated from the postseason, DeBoer said, “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. And we give up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. … That’s a pretty big sample size.” Whether DeBoer is correct in his assessment of Oettinger, it was not a professional comment to make publicly, and the Stars players are responding in kind.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- The Edmonton Oilers will have one of their depth forwards back for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Earlier today, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector passed along a note from Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, indicating Connor Brown will return on Wednesday. Brown missed the last two games of the Western Conference Final (and much of Game 3) after being hit in the head by Stars defenseman Alexander Petrovic.
- According to a team announcement, now-former Oiler forward Drake Caggiula has signed a one-year contract with the NL’s Lausanne HC. It’ll be the first time that Caggiula has played abroad in a professional setting. He spent much of the 2024-25 season with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, scoring 24 goals and 52 points in 62 games.
I wouldn’t be surprised if DeBoer is looking for work soon.
If I had a team I’d make him an offer lol
Just as long as your team didn’t have a stud goalie as you know Pete will mess sewer them
Why? Because he pulled a goalie who wasn’t playing well, then stated some data to support the move?
Could be from when he did it to Flower could also be due to almost the whole team reportedly in their exit interviews hating the handling of it
Torts time in Dallas? ;)
I can’t see how they move forward with DeBoer at this point.
Torts??? 😂😂😂
Thus the eye wink. :D
Looks like one writer has it in for him, not surprising given that writers history
I got excited to read the comments because I initially read Caligula in the headline. Darn…
Like Laviolette , Tortorella , Hitchcock. They have three or four years then players tune them out.
Oh yeah, Oettinger lost six of seven games to Edmonton, not team, not coaching staff, just Oettinger’s fault
Hellebuyck > Oettinger and neither team can win in the postseason with them.