It’s going to be a busy summer at Dallas Stars headquarters: The club has chosen former head coach Glen Gulutzan to return as bench boss.
Gulutzan comes back to Dallas after seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers, helping lead the team to two Western Conference Final victories – over the Stars – in 2024 and 2025. And he began his career with the Stars in Cedar Park, coaching the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup Final during their inaugural season in 2009-10.
But what most fans will remember is his tenure as head coach of the big team from 2011-13 – and that may be what troubles some minds the most. Gulutzan himself “admits that he probably wasn’t the right man to coach the Stars when he was first hired in 2011,” wrote Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika in his latest feature.
But Gulutzan believes his journey since then has prepared him to finish the real job: winning the Stars’ next Stanley Cup. “I know how much experience matters. You don’t realize it when you’re a young guy, you just don’t. But once you start working with veteran guys and you stay in the league, it didn’t take me long to realize that’s what I need.”
“His resume has prepared him for this opportunity,” said Stars GM Jim Nill. “It’s one thing to have success, but you’ve got to go through the tough times. It’s those tough times when you find out who you are. That’s what Glen has done. He’s made himself a better coach because of it and a better person because of it.”
Here are some relevant stats from the press release – you can read the entire thing at the Stars’ website.
The native of Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan returns to Dallas where he earned his first NHL head coaching opportunity, spending two seasons with the Stars (2011-13) and recording a 64-57-9 record in 130 regular-season games. He has also served as the head coach of the Calgary Flames for two seasons (2016-18), amassing an 82-68-14 record in 164 regular-season games and led the club to an appearance in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Gulutzan spent three seasons with Vancouver (2013-16) as an assistant coach before being named the head coach of the Flames. In total, he holds a record of 146-125-23 in 294 regular-season NHL games coached.
Prior to his time in the NHL, Gulutzan served as the head coach for the Texas Stars, Dallas’ primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). In each of his two seasons he led his team to the Calder Cup Playoffs, posting 87-56-17 record in 160 regular-season games and reached the Calder Cup Finals in the franchise’s inaugural season of 2009-10. Gulutzan spent six seasons (2003-09) as the head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL, amassing a 254-124-55 record in 433 regular-season games, collecting 100-plus points in three consecutive seasons from 2005 – 2008, a first for any team in the history of the ECHL. He reached the postseason in five of his six seasons in Las Vegas, including a trip to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2007-08. Gulutzan was selected on three occasions to coach the ECHL All-Star Game and was honored during the 2005-06 campaign with the John Brophy Award as the ECHL’s coach of the year.
And I’ll give The Dallas Morning News‘ Lia Assimakopoulos the last word:
Glen Gulutzan spent one season in Finland back in his playing days. The Stars' Finnish Mafia is gaining a new member (sort of).
— Lia Assimakopoulos (@lassimak.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 2:14 PM
What’s your take on this hire? Let’s talk about it in the comments.