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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Pete DeBoer Officially Hired as Head Coach

The long-time NHL head coach was officially hired by the Stars yesterday for 4-years, $4.25M annually. Plus, analysis on the hire, the NHL Awards winners, and more.

It’s official — Pete DeBoer is the 25th head coach in Dallas Stars history:

“Pete brings a wealth of experience to our dressing room, and we’re thrilled to name him our next head coach,” [general manager Jim] Nill said. “Every team that he has taken over has not only shown immediate improvement but has been ultra-competitive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs... His resume displays the high standards he sets and his ability to get his team to play up to that level consistently.”

DeBoer has 14 years of NHL head coaching experience under his belt, having served as one every season since 2008. He has a strong track record of immediate success with his new teams, which no doubt attracted the Stars.

“Over the last few seasons, I have seen firsthand what the Stars are building with a mix of dynamic young players and established leaders,” DeBoer said. “The chance to become this team’s next head coach was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi and Jim Nill for the chance to help guide this team as we work together to bring another Stanley Cup to Dallas.”

You can read the Stars’ full press release here.

Stars Stories

Now time for the reactions. First up, Mike Heika talks about why Dallas might be the perfect fit for DeBoer:

Meanwhile David Castillo shows optimism, but can’t help wonder if this is the wrong fit:

And then regardless of fit, Saad Yousuf argues that the key to DeBoer’s success in Dallas lies in changing the dreaded “culture of mediocrity.”

Around the League

The NHL Awards were last night, and for the sake of brevity, I’ll just bullet point the highlights:

  • Hart Memorial Trophy: Auston Matthews, C Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Vezina Trophy: Igor Shesterkin, G New York Rangers
  • James Norris Memorial Trophy: Cale Makar, D Colorado Avalanche
  • Frank J. Selke Trophy: Patrice Bergeron, C Boston Bruins
  • Calder Memorial Trophy: Moritz Seider, D Detroit Red Wings/

And here’s the 1st and 2nd Team NHL All-Stars:

Moving on, here’s some availability updates for tonight’s Game 4 between the Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning:

Speaking of the playoffs, Dallas vs the Calgary Flames cracked Down Goes Brown’s top half of the best series from this postseason (so far):

DeBoer wasn’t the old coaching news yesterday: the Edmonton Oilers officially gave their gig to Jay Woodcroft:

Meanwhile Dan Bylsma will be the first head coach of the Seattle Kraken’s new AHL affiliate:

Finally, on a more somber note, Katie Strang has the latest on the allegations against Hockey Canada:

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