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Pete DeBoer Breaks Silence with Shocking Update on Jake Oettinger Situation

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 31, 2025 1:57 PM ET

Many have worried about the future of the Dallas Stars after Peter DeBoer's comments on Jake Oettinger, but the Head Coach himself doesn't have worries.

Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals was a terrible night all around for the Dallas Stars, with Head Coach Peter DeBoer making things worse by throwing his star goaltender under the bus after pulling him from the game.

That's led to plenty of criticism and speculation about the future of both DeBoer and Oettinger, but on Saturday, the Stars Head Coach addressed the situation, noting that he doesn't believe his relationship with Oettinger has changed at all.

'No one is a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person and as a coach.'

This is in stark contract to the comments he made after the game, where he called out the play of Oettinger in frustration, just moments after the criticism began for the way he handled the entire situation on the ice.

On top of that, DeBoer also noted that the coaching staff were seriously considering benching Oettinger in Game 4, with the team knowing he was going through an injury issue as they looked to start Casey DeSmith.

They didn't end up doing so, with the team falling to 3-1 as the series shifted back to Dallas for Game 5, and after allowing two early goals, DeBoer made the shocking decision to pull his superstar goaltender, and while he may have considered it the right move, the timing was terrible.

Now, we will wait and see over the off-season if Oettinger feels the same way about his relationship with DeBoer, but for now, the veteran Head Coach remains confident that the two will continue working together as the Stars keep chasing their Stanley Cup goals.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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