It has been over three months since the Dallas Stars’ playoff run came to an end at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. Just a week later, head coach Pete DeBoer was dismissed, with much of the fallout tied to his sharp postgame comments aimed at goaltender Jake Oettinger. Now, DeBoer is finally opening up about the incident — and expressing regret.
Owning the Mistake
In a recent interview with nhl.com’s Mike Zeisberger, DeBoer admitted that he mishandled the situation by putting too much of the blame on Oettinger.
“Listen, we were all to blame for coming up short again, and it starts with me,” DeBoer said. “It was on me, it was on all the coaches, it was on all the players, it was on the organization as a whole. We all created the disappointment. We were all to blame, not just one guy.”
He went on to explain that when postgame questions centered on Oettinger, he should have redirected the conversation toward team accountability. “We — and I stress the word we — did not get the job done. That’s not on just one guy. I should have made that clearer.”
The Original Controversy
After the Stars’ 2-0 hole in Game 5 against Edmonton, DeBoer pulled Oettinger early and didn’t hold back in his comments afterward. He pointed to Oettinger’s struggles against the Oilers, noting he had lost six of seven playoff games against them dating back to the previous year. The blunt remarks created headlines and sparked debate over whether the coach had unfairly singled out his No. 1 goalie.
Oettinger’s Response
Now that DeBoer has spoken out, Oettinger has welcomed the gesture.
“I feel like he hit the nail on the head,” Oettinger said. “I agree with what his reflection was. I’m glad he said what he said.”
The goaltender’s acceptance helps to close the chapter on what had been one of the more controversial moments of the Stars’ playoff exit.
A Strong Record, but a New Chapter
Despite the bitter ending, DeBoer’s tenure in Dallas was statistically impressive. Over three seasons, he guided the Stars to a 149-68-29 record, the best points percentage in the NHL (.665) during that span.
Even so, he won’t be behind an NHL bench this fall. Instead, he’ll be shifting his focus to the international stage, serving as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Moving Forward
For DeBoer, the message is clear: it’s time to look ahead.
“It’s time to look ahead and move forward,” he concluded, adding that he will not revisit the Oettinger incident again.
