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Stars GM Reveals Reason Pete DeBoer was Fired, and it Involves the Oilers

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 2:17 PM ET

Stars GM Jim Nill revealed the reason that he had to fire head coach Pete DeBoer, and while the Oilers were not the only reason, they played a factor in it.

It's Peter DeBoer's turn now to get the hook. The Dallas Stars fired their head coach on Friday, just over a week after a disheartening Game 5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers ended their season in the Western Conference Final.

'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,' GM Jim Nill said in a statement.
'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.'

That 6-3 defeat saw DeBoer pull starter Jake Oettinger just 7:09 in, after the goalie allowed two goals on the first two shots.

The move was highly criticized, especially considering Oettinger's workload and playoff workload in general, a league-high 503 shots faced in 18 games.

While backup Casey DeSmith wasn't much better in relief, the Oettinger pull ignited outrage within the locker room and beyond.

Reports of growing tension in the Stars locker room began to circulate

There were multiple reports of tension between players and DeBoer increasing, with the goaltender change being perceived as the final straw.

Stars GM Jim Nill addressed the firing Friday, stating that DeBoer's public comments about Oettinger after Game 5 were 'a component' of the decision.

Nill indicated that it was not the sole reason, however, pointing rather to the team's repeated inability to get past the hump, the Oilers for that matter, with three consecutive years losing in the Western Final under DeBoer.

DeBoer posted a 149-68-29 regular-season record in three years in Dallas and was 29-27 in the playoffs. But the team regularly underachieved relative to expectations.

The Stars are now part of a long list of NHL teams with coaching changes this summer. Seven teams, including the Rangers, Penguins, and Ducks, have already named new head coaches.

DeBoer, 56, has an uncertain future after compiling a 662-447-152 record in 17 NHL seasons with Florida, New Jersey, San Jose, Vegas, and Dallas.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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