HIGHLIGHTS
- Pete DeBoer fired after three seasons in Dallas
- Stars looking for new coach after third-straight Conference Finals defeat
- Read below for more on the Stars’ coaching search
The NHL coaching carousel is spinning faster than ever nowadays. The average tenure of a head coach is decreasing, and another bench boss hit the proverbial waiver wire on Friday.
The Dallas Stars announced that they had fired head coach Pete DeBoer after three seasons with the club. The Stars reached the Western Conference Final in each of DeBoer’s three seasons, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 before back-to-back losses to the Edmonton Oilers.
DeBoer has now lasted just three years in each of his past two stops: first with Vegas from 2019 to 2022 and now from 2022 to 2025 in Dallas.
The Stars still have a great group of veterans and young guys locked up, so Dallas should be looking for a head coach who can win now. The front office may also prefer more of a players’ coach after DeBoer’s post-season comments weren’t too friendly.
Here are three potential coaching candidates for the Dallas Stars:
Stars Coaching Candidates to Replace DeBoer
Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant has spent the last two years out of the coaching game after a first-round exit in seven games led to the New York Rangers firing him in 2023.
Gallant has found success in each of his last few stops and is known more as a players’ coach, especially with the Golden Misfits, as he led them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.
He also led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in his first season with the club, so there is a precedent of him being able to find success right off the bat.
Gallant could be an easy choice as a veteran head coach with a proven track record in today’s NHL. He’s just searching for a Stanley Cup, much like the Stars.
It doesn’t hurt that he and Stars general manager Jim Nill spent time together in the Red Wings organization some 30-odd years ago.
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette falls into the same type of category as Gallant. While he’s not necessarily as much of a players’ coach, his toughness could be necessary to help the Stars get to the next level.
Also like Gallant, Laviolette’s last coaching job was with the New York Rangers. He led the Blueshirts to the Presidents’ Trophy and an Eastern Conference Finals berth in his first year (2023-24) before getting the boot after his team disappointed this past season.
Laviolette has also found varying levels of playoff success with the Capitals, Predators, and Flyers in the past decade-plus.
Lavy is always going to be toward the top of the list for any team that is ready to win now. He won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2026; could he lead the Stars there 20 years later?
Steve Ott
Steve Ott is a name and face that Dallas Stars fans know very well. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Stars from 2002 to 2012 before moving on to the Sabres, Blues, Red Wings, and Canadiens.
Ott has been a hot name in the coaching market after helping lead the St. Louis Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup as an assistant coach. He’s been on the Blues’ bench since 2017 and could be ready to take the next step as a head coach.
Ott could bring a fresh voice and a respected one into the Stars locker room as a player and coach who has been there before.
