Dallas Stars part ways with coach Pete DeBoer after three straight trips to conference final

The Stars say they will immediately begin their search for their next head coach.

After three straight trips to the Western Conference Final, the Dallas Stars are parting ways with head coach Pete DeBoer.

General manager Jim Nill made the announcement Friday, saying DeBoer had been "relieved of his head coaching duties" and that the team would immediately begin its search for its next head coach.

“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,” Nill said. “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.”

DeBoer was questioned for days after he decided to bench goalie Jake Oettinger in Game 5 of this year's conference final against the Edmonton Oilers, which turned out to be DeBoer's final game in charge.

“No one’s a bigger fan of Jake Oettinger than me, as a person or a goalie,” DeBoer said. “There’s one motive, and that’s how do we survive this and get it to a Game 6. And I have to live with those consequences. If it works, great, we’re in Edmonton tonight and you guys are telling me how awesome a move it was. And when it doesn’t, I’ve got to stand up here and do this, and I understand."

DeBoer finishes his three-year tenure with the Stars with a 149-68-29 record in 246 regular-season games. DeBoer had a 29-27 record in 56 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Though the Stars advanced to the conference final in three consecutive seasons, the team never advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.

DeBoer has been an NHL head coach since 2008 with previous stops including the Florida Panthers (2008-11), New Jersey Devils (2011-15), San Jose Sharks (2015-2019) and Vegas Golden Knights (2019-2022).