New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer approaches his team’s matchup Sunday against the Dallas Stars with typical understatement, downplaying what will be his first time facing his former club since his firing from the franchise.
“I’ve done this a few times in a few different spots,” DeBoer said following the Islanders’ practice Saturday. “Your first game back’s always a little special. Just because a lot of people you spend time with and work with and players. So it was a great chapter in my coaching career. I’m now coaching the Islanders and focused on that.”
DeBoer’s exit from Texas remains memorable for how it unfolded in the wake of the Stars’ postseason struggles. After guiding Dallas to the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive season, his club fell behind 3-1 in the series against the Edmonton Oilers. In a high-stakes Game 5, the Stars surrendered two goals on the Oilers’ first two shots, prompting DeBoer to pull star goaltender Jake Oettinger in favor of Casey DeSmith. The Stars ultimately lost the game and the series.
In the immediate aftermath, DeBoer publicly criticized Oettinger’s recent postseason record against Edmonton, pointing to a stretch where the goaltender had lost six of seven games to the Oilers and noting that the early goals in an elimination game served to spark the team after status quo approaches failed.
Less than a week later, the Stars dismissed DeBoer. He has since expressed regret over those remarks, acknowledging in a September 2025 interview with the NHL website that he should have redirected questions to reflect a team-wide responsibility rather than singling out the goaltender.
Both men crossed paths during the Olympic Games in Milan last February, where DeBoer noted he briefly chatted with Oettinger. The tournament also brought him into contact with numerous other former colleagues and players, including Marek Zidlicky, who was coaching with the Czech team, and several Finnish players from his tenure in Dallas.
Since taking over behind the Islanders’ bench after being hired with four games remaining last season, DeBoer has overseen a turnaround. Heading into the three-game road trip beginning Sunday in Dallas, the Islanders entered the contest with points in five consecutive games, displaying a disciplined style characterized by improved neutral zone play and limited scoring chances against.
“I think right now, you just keep building your game,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “I think we keep working on all our little details in practice, talking about them daily. You’re starting to see it in game: limiting chances, limiting time spent in our own zone, doing a good job in the neutral zone.”
Pulock credited DeBoer’s structure and leadership for the team’s early success, noting that the players have fully bought into his tactical approach as the Islanders prepare to face his former team.
